Northwich Dental Clinic Awarded Mouth Cancer Foundation Accreditation
An East Cheshire dental clinic has been awarded accreditation by the Mouth Cancer Foundation.
The clinic, which runs at Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary, has been granted full membership of the charity’s accreditation scheme. The scheme, which has recently been launched, is designed to promote regular screening and early diagnosis in a bid to reduce the number of deaths associated with oral cancer.
According to statistics, the number of cases of mouth cancer in the UK has increased by almost 50 per cent in the last decade, and between 6,000 and 8,000 people were diagnosed with the life-threatening disease last year.
Dr Vinod Joshi, who found the Mouth Cancer Foundation, stated that it was a pleasure to welcome members of the East Cheshire NHS Trust as a member of the accreditation scheme. In order to achieve membership, staff must receive training in spotting early danger signs and clinics must take part in events, which are designed to raise awareness and encourage patients to take an interest in the symptoms and causes of mouth cancer.
In comparison to other forms of cancer, mouth cancer has a relatively low profile and for this reason many people are still unaware of the risk factors and warning signs. As a result of this, many cases are diagnosed at a late stage when there is a high risk that cancer has spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.
The Mouth Cancer Foundation is working to ensure that people know which signs to look out for so that they can see their GP or dentist as early as possible and ensure that a diagnosis is made quickly. Early treatment can increase the chances of survival by up to 90 per cent.
Join this Discussion