Preparations Underway for 2015’s Mouth Cancer Action Month
Preparations are underway for the launch of this year’s Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign, which will take place in November.
The British Dental Health Foundation is responsible for organising and running the campaign each year. Chief Executive Dr Nigel Carter OBE is encouraging dental professionals to get involved with this year’s campaign and do their bit to raise awareness of oral cancer.
Dr Carter believes that dentists are in an excellent position to make a real difference to mouth cancer survival rates. They see patients on a regular basis, can provide screening checks and offer information about oral cancer. This will make sure cases are spotted early and patients are aware of the causes and symptoms.
Mouth cancer has become increasingly prevalent, with an increase in the number of cases to 40 percent in the last 10 years. Sadly, survival rates are not improving at the same rate as other forms of cancer and this is largely because most people are unaware of the warning signs. Many cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when there is a high risk that cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body.
This year, the campaign is encouraging dental patients to keep up to date with routine check-ups and to be ‘mouth aware’. Many practices across the country will be offering free oral cancer screening as part of the campaign and other events will be taking place with the aim of raising awareness of mouth cancer and supporting mouth cancer charities.
Last year, more than 1,500 individuals and dental practices took part in Mouth Cancer Action Month and the BDHF is hoping for an even better turnout this year. This year’s event will again be supported by Denplan, the Association of Dental Groups, Dentists’ Provident and the Mouth Cancer Foundation.
Join this Discussion