Your Health | Self-Management | Wellness Products and Discounts

We want to share with you some important information about an oral problem you may not give much thought to - oral cancer. We hope this information about the risk factors, warning signs, and the importance of regular checkups will help you make the right decision when it comes to your dental and overall health. Regular dental checkups are important, including an examination of the entire mouth in the detection of early cancer.

The Problem
While the tongue is the most common site of oral cancer, other cancer sites include the mouth, lips, throat, parts of the nose and the larynx. Each year:

• Approximately 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in the United States¹


• About 9,000 people die from the disease

While oral cancer accounts for about 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States, survival from oral cancer is among the lowest of major cancers. Oral cancer includes a variety of lesions and tumors in and around the mouth.

What Are the Risk Factors?

• Tobacco products - The majority of oral cancer can be attributed to the use of tobacco products.² The current use of smoked products has been found to increase the risk for oral cancer as much as 6 - 28 times.³


• Alcohol use - Excessive alcohol use is another risk factor. Avoiding these products reduces risk. The combined use of alcohol and tobacco products (smoked or smokeless tobacco) poses a much greater risk than either substance alone.


• Age - While it is possible to get oral cancer at any age, over 90 percent of oral cancer is diagnosed in people over 40 years of age.⁴


• Other factors - viral infections and exposure to sunlight (lip cancer).

What Are the Warning Signs?
Some of the signs to watch out for are:

• A mouth sore that bleeds easily or fails to heal.


• A lump, thickening or soreness in the mouth, throat or tongue.


• Soreness or swelling that does not go away.


• A white or red patch or sore in the mouth that doesn't go away.


• A change in your voice.


• Difficulty in chewing, swallowing or moving your tongue or jaw.


• Numbness of the tongue or other areas of the mouth.

While any of these symptoms might signal less serious conditions, if any of these problems continues for more than a few weeks, patients should undergo a head, neck and oral examination in order to obtain a firm diagnosis. It is important to discover oral cancer in an early stage to improve the prognosis for successful treatment.

What Can Your Dentist or Physician Do?

Regular dental checkups are important, including an examination of the entire mouth in the detection of early cancer. Your dentist or physician will examine the tissues of the mouth, checking for any abnormalities. If an abnormal area is found, a biopsy is the only way to determine whether a lesion is cancerous.
For more information, refer to the following websites:

• www.cancer.gov


• www.cdc.gov/OralHealth


• www.adha.org/oralhealth