DT News - UK - Online dentist toolkit launched over worrying oral cancer figures

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 12 November 2015

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LONDON, UK: With Mouth Cancer Action Month in full swing, Cancer Research UK has launched a new oral cancer toolkit in partnership with the British Dental Association and the British Dental Health Foundation this week. It is aimed at helping dental professionals and general medical practitioners identify the disease earlier.

In addition to images of signs and symptoms of the condition, the free toolkit outlines how health professionals should refer patients for further testing. By completing the toolkit, professionals are eligible for continuing professional development credits, the organisations said.

Despite measures like Mouth Cancer Action Month, oral cancer in the UK continues to rise. According to new figures released by Cancer Research UK on Tuesday, cases have almost doubled, with 7,300 people diagnosed in 2012 compared with 4,500 in 2002. Currently, up to 2,000 people die from the disease per year.

Oral cancer affects twice as many men as women, and is now the tenth most common cancer among men where it has been linked to smoking, which is believed to play a part in the disease in a third of all cases. Other contributing factors include alcohol consumption, poor diet and the human papillomavirus.

“It is vital that GPs and dentists can spot signs and symptoms of the disease to help catch it early and that they feel confident in knowing the next steps they should take in referring patients for further tests,” commented developer of the toolkit and Liverpool-based head and neck surgeon Prof. Richard Shaw. “Having seen the devastating impact that oral cancers can have, I hope this toolkit will help more cancers be detected at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”

“Delay is costing lives, so it’s vital that front line health professionals have the tools and the information to reduce the risk of the disease and get patients diagnosed as quickly as possible,” added Prof. Damien Walmsley, Chief Scientific Advisor to the British Dental Association.

According to a 2015 study conducted by King’s College London researchers, insufficient knowledge and training among dentists was identified as a significant factor in lack of oral cancer awareness.

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