Mouth Cancer awareness
In Britain, the incidence of mouth cancer has increased faster than any other cancer in the past 25 years. Alarmingly, the rate of mouth cancer in women has increased significantly at a rate of 3% per year since 1994.
At Lakeside Orthodontics we regularly screen adults for mouth cancer and signs of secondary cancer in neck nodes.
One in 3 people diagnosed with oro-pharyngeal cancers are infected with a form of Human Papilloma virus (HPV), the simple wart.
Although most people will be infected with HPV at some point of their lives, two particular strains HPV16 and HPV18 are most likely to cause cancer. The % of patients with HPV16 was 35 times greater in those with throat cancer compared with the cancer free population.
Early detection of mouth cancer greatly improves the chances of survival. A simple mnemonic is the RULE for suspecting oral cancer:
- Red and/or white lesion
- Ulcer
- Lump
- Exceeding THREE weeks duration.
Other common causes of mouth cancer are alcohol and Tobacco
