Oral Cancer Awareness Month 2022 — ‘Early Screening Is Vital’

The month of April is observed as Oral Cancer Awareness Month every year to highlight the dangers oral cancer brings and to call attention to the importance of screening the entire mouth in fighting this disease (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
April Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month – 2022

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What is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer refers to cancer that develops in the mouth, including the lips, gum, tongue, and the inner lining of the cheeks. It is the most common form of head and neck cancer that typically affects people aged 60 years and above. The death rate associated with oral cancer is high because it is being discovered at a late stage. Don’t worry, oral cancer doesn’t come to develop suddenly. There are warning signs and possible causes that increase the likelihood of developing oral cancer(2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Raise Oral Cancer Awareness

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Get the Oral Cancer Facts

• 1 in 4 of those diagnosed with oral cancer did not have any risk factors. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, more than 43,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.
• Oral cancer will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour in a day. Overall, the lifetime risk of developing oral cavity and oropharyngeal canceris about 1 in 60 (1.7%) for men and 1 in 140 (0.71%) for women (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
  Oral Cancer Facts
  
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• Early diagnosis will double the survival rate of oral cancer (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
  Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers
  
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Oral Cancer Warning Signs

If you see any of these signs or symptoms, schedule an appointment with your dentist (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers

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• Mouth sores that do not heal.
• Masses in the mouth.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
• Mouth pain and difficulty
• Chronic sore throat or change in voice.
• Dramatic weight loss.
• Unexplained numbness in any area of the face, mouth, or neck.
• Unexplained bleeding in the mouth.

Oral Cancer Risk Factors

If you want to protect yourself from oral cancer, here are a few risk factors to know about: Regular Tobacco Use— Tobacco contains dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals that increase the risk of oral cancer. Even if you’ve been using tobacco for years, quit right now to have a positive impact on your oral health.

Gender— Studies have shown that men are twice as likely to be affected by oral cancer as women. So, men can combat this risk by visiting their dentist for regular check-ups and taking good care of their oral health.

Presence of Human Papillomavirus— Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted infection that increases the risk of developing certain cancers. One among them is oral cancer. This happens for both men and women(5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Oral Cancer

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Don’t wait any longer. In the spirit of oral cancer awareness month, be proactive about your oral health, and get checked today.

Screening for oral cancer takes less than 10 minutes. Invest your time wisely this April with your dentist. Always prevention is better than cure.

References:

1. April Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month – 2022 - (https://oralcancerfoundation.org/april-is-oral-cancer-awareness- month-2022/)
2. Raise Oral Cancer Awareness - (https://www.aaoms.org/media/raise-oral-cancer-awareness)
3. Oral Cancer Facts - (https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/)
4. Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers - (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/key- statistics.html)
5. Oral Cancer - (https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/oral- cancer)

Source-Medindia