Health
Dental Charity Issues Mouth Cancer Warning
By British Dental Health Foundation
Sep 28, 2005, 12:57

The UK�s leading oral health charity is warning people of all ages that they have to start checking their mouth regularly if they are to halt the increasing number of mouth cancer deaths.

Although mouth cancer was once considered to be something which affected mostly older males, the condition is now becoming much more common in younger people and women. The ratio of women to men suffering with mouth cancer has grown by a third in the last 10 years though men are still twice as likely to develop the condition.

The most common causes of mouth cancer are smoking and drinking alcohol to excess. In fact, people who do both are up to 30 times more likely to develop the condition. Poor diet is also a contributory factor.

However, around 25% of mouth cancer cases in younger people present none of the common risk factors. So although leading a healthy lifestyle will cut your risk considerably it is vital that people learn to be aware of possible symptoms too.

The warning is being issued by the British Dental Health Foundation in the run up to Mouth Cancer Awareness Week, which takes place between November 13 and 19. The campaign is using the tagline �It Could Be You� to demonstrate that the condition can strike anyone at any time.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, commented: �In the UK, mouth cancer kills one person every five hours and it is no longer just older males who need to be worried about developing mouth cancer � the condition can strike anyone.

�Regular self-examination is now the norm for breast cancer and testicular cancer, and it needs to be the same for mouth cancer.

�Of course you can cut your risk considerably by leading a healthy lifestyle, so giving up smoking, cutting down on alcohol and eating a healthy diet is still very important.

�However, with one in four younger sufferers living healthily prior to developing the condition, the importance of self-examination cannot be underestimated.�

The first sign of mouth cancer is often a non-healing mouth ulcer or a red or white patch in the mouth. The Foundation recommends that you should visit the dentist as a precaution should you notice any changes in your mouth. Early detection significantly increases a person�s chances of survival.

RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS

Risks
Men are twice as likely as women to develop mouth cancer, though the gap is closing fast. Ten years ago they were three times as likely.
Over 45�s are more at risk of developing the condition, and around 80% of sufferers fall into this age group.
The main risk factors of mouth cancer are smoking, drinking alcohol to excess and poor diet.
The three key messages are:
� Cut out smoking and all forms of tobacco
� Cut down on alcohol
� Eat healthily

Smoking
Smoking is the number one cause of mouth cancer.
According to research published in the British Journal of Cancer, cigarette smoke transforms saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous.
Patients need to be strongly encouraged to give up smoking.
They also need to aware that switching to low-tar cigarettes will not help.
Research has found that smokers of �light� cigarettes inhale more smoke from their cigarettes and take longer puffs � resulting in just as many cancer-causing poisons as smokers of regular cigarettes.

Smokeless Tobacco
Although some people believe that chewing tobacco is safer than smoking, the reality is that it is even more dangerous.
Chewing tobacco, paan, areca nut and gutkha are habits favoured by some ethnic groups. In the UK and other countries, some of these brands are marketed like sweets and, as no mention is made of tobacco on the packaging, they can unwittingly be sold to children.

Alcohol
Although much less documented, alcohol poses almost as big a risk as smoking when it comes to mouth cancer. In addition, because alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth, people who smoke and drink alcohol to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.
The important thing is not the type of drink that is consumed but the total volume of alcohol.
It is recommended that men drink no more than 3-4 units per day and women drink no more than 2-3. One unit is the equivalent to a glass of wine, a single measure of spirits or half a pint of beer, lager or cider.

Diet
It is estimated that poor diet is linked to a third of all cancer cases.

There is a large body of evidence showing that an increase in fruit and vegetables lowers the risk of developing mouth cancer. Fish and eggs can also reduce the risk.
It is recommended that people enjoy a healthy, balanced diet, including food from each of the major food groups and including fruit and vegetables of all different colours as each colour contains different vitamins.

Symptoms
However, with 25% of cases in younger people presenting none of the common risk factors everyone needs to be aware of the symptoms of mouth cancer, and the importance of self-examination. Early detection improves survival chances considerably.

Possible symptoms
The most common symptoms of mouth cancer are a non-healing mouth ulcer or a red or white patch on the tongue, gums or lining of the mouth.
People are advised to visit their dentist or doctor if they have had a mouth ulcer that hasn�t healed for three weeks.
Other less common symptoms can include pain on chewing or swallowing, a sore throat that won�t go away, a pain in the ear, change in the voice or unusual pain, bleeding or numbness in the mouth. Although these symptoms could be caused by an entirely unrelated health problem, it is recommended that people with these symptoms should see a health professional for advice.

Self examination
Self examination is as important for mouth cancer as it is for breast cancer or testicular cancer.
People need to be encouraged to check their mouth on a regular basis. If they notice any unusual changes they should book an appointment with their dentist or doctor immediately.

FACTS AND FIGURES

� In the UK over 4,300 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed annually
� Around 1,700 people die of mouth cancer every year
� The number of new mouth cancer cases increased by more than 17 percent in the last four years
� Mouth cancer is more common in men than women, but the gap is closing
� Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition
� Smoking, drinking alcohol and poor diet are major risk factors
� Risk rises dramatically for people who are both smokers and heavy drinkers
� Early detection and treatment considerably increases survival chances, allows for simpler treatment and results in a better quality of life for sufferers
� Only six percent of people demonstrate unprompted awareness of mouth cancer
� Of the people who have heard of mouth cancer 76 percent are aware of a link between smoking and developing the condition, but only 19 percent of people are aware of a link to alcohol misuse
� People aged between 25 and 34 years have the highest knowledge about the links between mouth cancer, smoking and alcohol

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