Dundee students raise awareness of oral cancer

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Students from Dundee University are campaigning to raise awareness of oral cancer as part of the national week-long campaign to raise the profile of mouth cancer.

Dundee University’s Students’ Association is holding a week-long event, which aims to educate students about oral cancer and encourage them to attend regular dental check-ups. The Students’ Association is joining forces with members of staff and students from Dundee Dental School and representatives from cancer charities.

Throughout the week, events and activities will be held to teach people about the causes of oral cancer, the signs and symptoms to look out for and ways to reduce the risk of oral cancer. The campaign will focus on lifestyle habits, as the most common risk factors are drinking heavily and smoking, both of which are common amongst students and young people. The events will also encourage people to eat healthily and attend regular dental check-ups; information about registering with an NHS dental practice and local NHS practices will also be available on campus.

The university campaign has been backed by local MPs and health officials and experts; recently, Tory health spokeswoman, Mary Scanlon proposed a motion to support mouth cancer awareness week in parliament and the government is working on initiatives to raise the profile of mouth cancer.

In the last decade alone, the number of cases of oral cancer has increased by 40 percent, yet 50 percent of people are unaware of the disease and consequently have no idea of the symptoms they should be looking out for. Student co-ordinator, Andy Kinnear, said the aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the disease and encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and keep an eye out for early warning signs, including white and red patches in the mouth, unusual swellings in the mouth or throat and sores which take a long time to heal. Another key message of the campaign is to encourage people to visit their dentist on a frequent basis, as early diagnosis can improve survival rates by up to 90 percent. 

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