Today in the UK mouth cancer kills one person every five hours, and less than
half of those diagnosed with the disease survive beyond five years of diagnosis.
These figures show that action needs to be taken. This November is Mouth Cancer
Action Month, and the British Dental Health Foundation will be promoting the campaign
and tagline ‘If in doubt, get checked out’ to raise awareness of the disease, the common
risk factors and early warning signs.
The Foundation’s Chief Executive, Dr Nigel Carter said: “Mouth cancer is easier to treat if caught early on, and survival rates also improve massively with early detection. For this reason, the Foundation wants to increase awareness of the disease among the public.
Health professionals can play a key part in this, by educating their patients and performing regular oral examinations.”
A visit to the dentist or increased knowledge of self examination for mouth cancer can
help improve early detection, which saves lives. Warning signs for mouth cancer include:
- Ulcers which do not heal within 3 weeks
- Red and white patches in the mouth
- Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth
The appearance of any of these signs should prompt an immediate call to a dentist or
doctor.
Knowing the key risk factors is crucial:
- Smoking – Still considered to be the leading cause of mouth cancer in the UK.
- Alcohol – Drinking to excess can increase mouth cancer risks by four times. Those who smoke and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the disease.
- Poor diet – Around a third of cases are thought to be linked to an unhealthy diet. It is recommended that people eat a healthy balanced diet including five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
- Chewing tobacco – Although some people believe this is safer than smoking, the reality is that it is much more dangerous. Chewing paan, guthka and areca nut should be avoided and discouraged.
- HPV – The human papilloma virus, transmitted via oral sex, has recently been identified as a risk factor, particularly in younger people with no other apparent risk factors. Experts suggest it may rival tobacco and alcohol as a key risk factor within 10 years. People with multiple sexual partners are more at risk.
Glenda Boulter
“In November 2005 I had an infected wisdom tooth removed. For some time all was well,
but after about nine months the socket became sore, and wouldn't completely heal. I also
had a recurring ulcer. I went back to my dentist and she referred me to hospital. After
further examination and a biopsy, I was diagnosed with cancer in my jaw. I was told I
would need surgery, and maybe radiotherapy.
The surgery lasted about 8 hours. And the first few days on the ward afterwards were
quite difficult, as I tried to come to terms with all that had happened. I could only move my right arm and right leg when I first woke up, and had to have therapy to start walking again
as the bone had been taken from my hip to repair my jaw after the removal of the tumour.
I was able to return home after ten days, but, unfortunately had to return to hospital later
as I had an infection in my neck and mouth. This took some time to heal, and I was not allowed to eat for a further eight weeks. Eating was difficult, I had to learn to swallow
again, and liquidised food was the order of the day. Very gradually this improved, but took
a great deal of patience and perseverance.
Although I felt I had recovered well, my emotional recovery was substantially improved by joining the support group heads2gether. Meeting people who had been through the same
thing and had similar problems to overcome was a milestone.
Now I have four monthly check-ups at the hospital, and three monthly visits to my
hygienist, who is extremely supportive.
As a non-smoker and only occasional drinker, I wasn’t in a high risk group at all; which is
why going to your dentist is so important. I am so grateful to my dentist, if she hadn’t
spotted a problem, who knows how long it would have taken me to find out. And time
really is of the essence. If caught early the disease is treatable.
I did have an awareness of mouth cancer before I was diagnosed, and I started to worry
when my ulcer didn’t heal. But there is no denying that my dentist played an absolutely
crucial role in my fight against mouth cancer. Giving each patient a full oral examination, including moving the tongue side to side, needs to happen on every visit.”
John Spencer
“Just before my 68th birthday in 2004 I noticed a small mouth ulcer between the gum and cheek on the right side. This was no worry, ulcers clear up in a short while and this would
be no exception and, anyway, it was hardly noticeable. After a while I had to admit that it
did seem more persistent than previous ulcers and did not respond to “over the counter” remedies so I decided that unless there was a significant improvement by next Monday I would see the doctor. Monday came, something cropped up and Monday went and
several more Mondays too…..but it was only a mouth ulcer so there was no hurry was there??? Subsequent events were to prove how wrong I was.
When I did see the doctor he referred me to a dentist who, in turn, referred me to the maxillofacial unit at Pinderfields Wakefield, this is when the pace quickened culminating
in surgery at Leeds General to remove the lymph nodes from the right side of the neck
and a substantial part of the lower jaw bone .The latter was rebuilt using titanium plate
and bone and tissue from the left arm. The arm was repaired with more titanium plate.
Twelve hours in theatre, thirty six hours in intensive care , two weeks in hospital, six
months convalescence and a further six months to regain some semblance of normality.
A while later a second tumour appeared, this was dealt with in the short term and
required one hour in theatre, I was home the next day and pottering about the garden by
the end of the week.
These two events, at opposite ends of the scale, illustrate the importance of prompt
attention; delay is cancer’s best friend and the patients worst enemy. Mouth cancer
survival rates stand at a little less than 50%; delay accounts for a significant proportion
of the 50% who do not make it.
I now lead a near normal life for seventy four year old, adjustments have been necessary
but seventy four years of wear and tear would probably have necessitated many of these anyway.
I received a great deal of help and support from my wife and family and also from the
Mouth Cancer Foundation, an organisation dedicated to awareness and help for patients
and carers alike. I remain an active member of the foundation more than six years down
line.
The best advice I can offer is: if something unusual appears in the mouth and does not
clear in three weeks, either on its own or with over the counter medication, see your
dentist or doctor without delay.”
To support Mouth Cancer Action Month, contact the Foundation (01788 539 793) to
receive an Official Blue Ribbon Appeal kit.
Facts and Figures
How many cases?
- Latest figures show over 5,300 new cases of mouth cancer a year were diagnosed in the UK.
- The number of annual mouth cancer cases increased by a staggering 41% in the last decade.
- In the UK, Scotland has the highest mouth cancer incidence rate of all the countries.
- Worldwide, an estimated 405,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
- The latest figures show that cancer of the lip is three times more common in men than in women.
- 87% of cases in the UK occur in people aged 50 or over.
Some Shocking Statistics
- 1,822 people died from mouth cancer in 2008
- Under half of those diagnosed survive beyond five years of diagnosis.
- Over two thirds of mouth cancers cases are detected at a late stage, reducing chances of survival.
- Early detection transforms survival chances to more than 90%.
- Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined.
What are the risk factors?
- Tobacco use and drinking alcohol are the main risk factors and account for around three in four cases of mouth cancers.
- People who both drink and use tobacco to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the condition.
- Non-smokers who are exposed to second hand smoke at home or at work are two thirds more likely to develop the disease.
- Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition.
- 50 years ago mouth cancer was five times more common in men than women. Now it is only twice as common.
- US studies relate the human papilloma virus (HPV) to more than 20,000 cancer cases in the past five years.
- The possibility of mouth cancer remains higher for ex-smokers for 20 years or more after quitting when compared to non-smokers.
Mouth Cancer Action Month runs throughout the whole of November 2010.
The official website is www.mouthcancer.org
For case studies and interviews contact the Foundation’s press office via pr@dentalhealth.org or call 01788 539 792.
This is the official UK Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign and is supported by Denplan.
.
The British Dental Health Foundation’s website is www.dentalhealth.org
The National Dental Helpline provides expert advice on oral health from 9am to 5pm,
Monday to Friday, and is staffed by fully qualified oral health experts.