Why We Need To Talk About Mouth Cancer

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Survival rates for most forms of cancer are increasing year on year; however, mouth cancer is becoming more common and survival rates are showing no sign of improvement.

Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical and testicular cancer combined, yet many people are unaware that it even exists. The British Dental Health Foundation is working to change this and next month the charity is holding a month-long event to raise awareness of the killer disease and encourage people to take notice of mouth cancer.

Smoking is the major risk factor for mouth cancer; however, the number of cases is increasing every year, despite a continuous fall in the number of smokers. Researchers have identified additional risk factors, including alcohol consumption, a poor diet and exposure to the HPV (human papilloma virus), a very common virus which is transmitted via sexual contact.

Hazel Nunn from Cancer Research UK said that it is not just binge drinking that increases the risk of cancer, but also regular drinking; research suggests that two pints of strong beer or glasses of wine per day can treble the risk of mouth cancer despite the fact that this is only just above the recommended daily intake.

A recent study has also indicated that eating cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, can reduce the risk of mouth cancer.

Next month’s campaign run by the BDHF will highlight the causes and risk factors of mouth cancer and also alter people to the symptoms, which are often missed resulting in diagnosis at an advanced stage. Symptoms include recurrent sores and ulcers that take a long time to heal, red or white patches in the mouth and abnormal swellings in the mouth or throat.

Hazel Nunn said that ideally people should have a look inside their mouths and check their tongue and gums for signs of oral cancer and regular dental visits are also essential; if oral cancer is diagnosed early the chances of survival are up to 90 per cent higher.

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