British Dental Health Foundation Launched 2015 Mouth Cancer Action Month Campaign
The British Dental Health Foundation has officially launched this year’s Mouth Cancer Action Month.
The national campaign will run throughout the month of November and practices all over the UK will be taking part in fundraising activities and hosting free screening sessions to get people talking about mouth cancer, encourage people to be aware of potential warning signs and symptoms and improve the chances of cases being diagnosed at an early stage. The campaign goes under the tagline, ‘if in doubt, get checked out’.
The BDHF is eager to raise awareness of mouth cancer, which is increasingly prevalent in the UK. In the last decade, the number of people affected has increased by more than 35 percent, However, studies suggest that fewer than half of adults are aware of the warning signs or causes. Like most forms of cancer, early diagnosis for mouth cancer increases survival chances by up to 90 percent and improving public awareness should ensure that more cases are diagnosed at an early stage when cancer is more treatable.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the BDHF, explained the significance of the national campaign, highlighting the need to educate more people about mouth cancer and hopefully make a positive difference to survival rates. Almost 7,000 people a year are diagnosed with mouth cancer and sadly, only half will survive 5 years. With early diagnosis and treatment, this figure could increase significantly. Symptoms to look out for include abnormal swelling or lumps, red or white patches and slow-healing sores and mouth ulcers.
This month, the BDHF, mouth cancer charities and dental professionals all over the country are encouraging the public to be mouth aware and to take advantage of screening sessions.
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