Early Oral Cancer Detection Saves Lives

April is oral cancer awareness month and the Oral Cancer Foundation has been campaigning to increase public awareness of this disease.  They are also on a mission to motivate the medical community to screen their patients more frequently because early detection saves lives.  Dentists, like myself, are on the frontlines.  We are the physician specialists of the mouth and have one of the “best seats in the house” when it comes to oral cancer screenings.  Seventy five percent (75%) of head and neck cancers begin in the oral cavity.

An image of oral cancer of the tongue.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation there are 100,000 dentists in the United States who see 8-15 patients per day.  Sixty percent (60%) of the population sees a dentist at least one time a year.  These statistics should yield tens of thousands of opportunities to diagnose oral cancer in its early stages. However, less than fifteen percent (15%) of patients visiting a dentist report receiving an oral cancer screen.

Here are some of the facts: there will be more than 30,000 new cases of oral cancer diagnosed this year with 8,000 deaths; oral cancer kills one person every 24 hours; once diagnosed the survival rate is only 5 years for fifty percent (50%) of those affected. Unfortunately the survival rate is unnecessarily short due to late detection and diagnosis. Oral cancer is more prevalent in older populations (over 60 years).  The rate of oral cancer is on the rise in  younger populations (under 50 years) due to HPV (human papilloma virus) infection.  Oral cancer has a higher death rate than other cancers such as cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, malignant melanoma, and testicular cancer.

Patients know the value of a yearly pap smear, mammogram, or a prostate exam.  These tests have been made a part of yearly health exams, and have allowed for early detection and treatment of cervical, breast, and testicular cancer and lead to higher rates of positive treatment outcomes.

I have partnered this year with the Oral Cancer Foundation by offering complimentary oral cancer screenings in my office on April 19 and April 25.  An oral cancer screen takes about five minutes to complete and is painless.  Early detection of oral cancer increases cure rates by 80-90%.  Please, don’t hesitate to call my office at 561-447-9505  for your screen. Early detection saves lives!  See how a simple oral screen has affected others lives at Oral Cancer Foundation.