This month is Mouth Cancer Action Month and we want to help create awareness of this particular type of cancer. Screening for mouth cancer or as we often refer to it oral cancer, is part of each dental check that you have. In fact, your dentist may notice something before you do. Mouth cancer screening is one of the many reasons why attending regular dental health checks are so important.
Here are 7 things you absolutely need to know about mouth cancer –
• Cases of mouth cancer are on the increase! Experts expect incidences of mouth cancer to increase to continue to increase.
• Cancer of the tongue and oral cavity are the most common forms of mouth cancer, followed then by the throat. Lip, neck and other mouth cancers make up the rest of cases.
• Mouth cancer in most cases is linked to lifestyle choices. Smoking is one of the main causes of mouth cancer however, alcohol consumption is now a known contributor. Also on the lifestyle list is diet –eat your veggies.
• People being affected by mouth cancer are getting younger. It used to be rare for a person younger than 65 -70 to have mouth cancer. But because of our current lifestyle people are getting diagnosed younger and younger.
• The human papillomavirus (HPV) is estimated to overtake smoking as the number one cause of mouth cancers in the future.
• Mouth cancer kills more people each year than cervical and testicular cancer combined.
• Early detection of mouth cancer results in a survival outcome of 90%. However, delayed diagnosis means survival rates drop to around 50%.
If you would like more information on mouth cancer then you might like to read this …
