DT News - UK - Alarming increase in oral cancer rates in the UK

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 10 February 2015

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RUGBY, UK: In marking World Cancer Day, the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has highlighted the constantly increasing rates of oral cancer in the UK. Latest statistics from Cancer Research UK showed that nearly 6,800 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer in the UK every year. This figure has increased by 50 per cent within the last ten years. According to leading oral cancer campaigners, mouth cancer rates could be reduced by improving the public’s knowledge of the associated risk factors and possible symptoms.

World Cancer Day, an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control, takes place every year on 4 February and aims to raise awareness about the disease and to promote action by governments and individuals all around the world. Under the tagline “Not beyond us”, this year’s World Cancer Day placed emphasis on cancer prevention, including following a healthy lifestyle and early detection.

“It is almost as though these messages were created with mouth cancer in mind, given the huge significance they can make to reducing the risk of the disease and catching it early,” stated Dr Nigel Carter, OBE, Chief Executive of the BDHF.

Lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and human papillomavirus infection, contribute to an increased risk of developing mouth cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, nine in ten cases of oral cancer are associated with these factors.

In order to educate people about these risks, as well as the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer, the BDHF initiated Mouth Cancer Action Month, a month-long campaign that has been run every November since 2009.

“We often find many cases are diagnosed at stage 4―the most advanced stage where time is of the essence in potentially saving a life. Without early detection, the five-year survival rate for mouth cancer is only 50 per cent. If it is caught early, survival rates over five years can dramatically improve to up to 90 per cent,” explained Carter. According to BDHF, more than 1,800 people in the UK lose their life to mouth cancer every year.

The BDHF recommends visiting the dentist and checking for possible mouth cancer symptoms regularly. Carter emphasised: “We are asking everybody to be mouthaware by looking out for ulcers which do not heal within three weeks, red and white patches in the mouth and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth are early warning signs of mouth cancer.”

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