Did you know that April is Mouth Cancer Awareness Month? Oral cancer rates continue despite current therapies. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure when it comes to oral cancer. What does your dentist have to do with cancer diagnosis, though?
Not Just Teeth: Oral Cancer Screening by My Dental Team for My Overall Health
Did you know when the dentist calls for your six-month appointment it is not just to clean and check your teeth? Dentists also perform cancer screenings to look for cancer in your mouth, also called “oral cancer.” Nearly 54,000 Americans will find out they have oral cancer this year. Only about half of people who get oral cancer live past five years from the time they find out, making it a deadly risk to your overall health.
What is an oral cancer screening like?
Your dentist will look at your face, neck, gums, tongue, cheeks, and the back of your throat for any signs of cancer. They will also feel your neck, lips, the floor of your mouth, and your tongue for any lumps or bumps that shouldn't be there. If your dentist is concerned about a spot on your face or a lump in your mouth, they will send you to your doctor to figure out the next steps in your treatment. Dentists and doctors work together to treat oral cancer.
What are the symptoms of oral cancer?
Symptoms vary for every patient. See your dentist or doctor if you notice any of these for two weeks or longer:
White and/or red patches.
Sore spots, bumps, or rough patches.
The feeling that something is caught in your throat
Trouble chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
Issues moving your jaw or tongue.
Pain, numbness, and/or swelling in your mouth, throat, tongue, or ears.
Many people with oral cancer might not notice it themselves because they don’t feel different. Oral cancer can appear like things that are not cancer such as a common sore or even a freckle. Dentists are trained to tell the difference between cancer and something else.
How do people get oral cancer?
Smoking and drinking alcohol like beer, wine, and liquor are the most common reasons people will get oral cancer. Being infected with viruses like HPV (the virus of herpes) and HIV (the virus of AIDS) also makes a person more likely to get oral cancer. Too much sun exposure on your face also causes cancer on your lips or on your face.
The “Bad S’s” are the most common causes of oral cancer:
Smoking (Tobacco)
“Spirits” (Alcohol)
Sunlight
Sexual Contact (HPV and HIV)
80% of cases of oral cancer are in people 55 years and older. However, any person can get oral cancer at any time in their life. This includes people who don’t smoke or drink, and have good health. That is why everyone should get an oral cancer screening by their dentist once a year. Oral cancer can be cured more easily when it is found early. Sadly, oral cancer is often found late.
Why do people find their oral cancer so late?
Millions of Americans don’t see their dentist often enough. In 2019, one out of three adults under age 65 hadn't had a dental exam or cleaning in the last year. That means one out of three people missed a chance to catch oral cancer early. Remember: Finding oral cancer early is the most important thing to help a patient get the treatment they need to survive.
How can I help protect myself from oral cancer?
See your dentist as soon as possible if you see an odd spot in your mouth or throat. Decrease use of tobacco products like cigarettes, snuff and chew. Lower the amount of alcohol you drink. Wear sunscreen on your face and a hat that shades your face while in the sun. Wear lip balm with sunscreen in it. Ask your doctor if you should get the HPV vaccine. Practice safe sex to avoid sharing the HPV or HIV viruses. See your dentist at least once a year for your oral cancer screening.
Use the “Good S’s” to prevent oral cancer:
Stop using alcohol and tobacco
Sunscreen on your lips and face
Safe Sex
Screenings by your dentist
Your dentist might be the first one to notice something more serious going on with your overall health like oral cancer. Visiting your dentist once a year for an oral cancer screening could be the five minutes that makes a difference in finding cancer early.
This is essay was also my submission to the ADA’s 2022 national health literacy contest.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.
References
American Cancer Society. (March 2021) Can Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers Be Found Early? Exams of the mouth and finding oral cancer early. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html#written_by
American Cancer Society. (2022) Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
American Dental Association. (September 2022) Cancer (Head and Neck). Department of Scientific Information, Evidence Synthesis & Translation Research, ADA Science & Research Institute, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/cancer-head-and-neck
Aravamudhan K, Rethman MP, Carpenter W, et al. (2010) The American
Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs Expert Panel on Screening
for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Evidence-based clinical recommendations regarding screening for oral squamous cell carcinomas. JADA;141(5):509-520. Retrieved from https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)61524-5/fulltext
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (August 2022) Dental Visits. Health, United States, 2020-2021. CDC/National Center for Health Statistics/Division of Analysis and Epidemiology. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/topics/dental-visits.htm
Chaturvedi AK, Graubard BI, Broutian T, et al. (2018) Effect of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on oral HPV infections among young adults in the United States. J Clin Oncol;36(3):262-67. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5773841/pdf/JCO.2017.75.0141.pdf
Di Credico G, Polesel J, Dal Maso L, et al. (2020) Alcohol drinking and head and neck cancer risk: The joint effect of intensity and duration. British Journal of Cancer;123(9):1456-63. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7592048/pdf/41416_2020_Article_1031.pdf
Ferraguti G, Terracina S, Petrella C, et al. (January 2022) Alcohol and Head and Neck Cancer: Updates on the Role of Oxidative Stress, Genetic, Epigenetics, Oral Microbiota, Antioxidants, and Alkylating Agents. Antioxidants (Basel);11(1):145. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8773066/pdf/antioxidants-11-00145.pdf
Galati L, Chiocca S, Duca D, et al. (2022) HPV and head and neck cancers: Towards early diagnosis and prevention. Tumour Virus Research;14:200245. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666679022000118
Hummel J, Phillips K, Holt B, Hayes C. (June 2015) Oral Health: An Essential Component of Primary Care. Qualis Health. Retrieved from https://www.safetynetmedicalhome.org/sites/default/files/White-Paper-Oral-Health-Primary-Care.pdf
Irani S. (2020) New Insights into Oral Cancer-Risk Factors and Prevention: A Review of Literature. Int J Prev Med;11:202. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8000242/pdf/IJPVM-11-202.pdf
Langevin SM, Michaud DS, Eliot M, et al. (November 2012) Regular dental visits are associated with earlier stage at diagnosis for oral and pharyngeal cancer. Cancer Causes Control; 23(11):1821-9. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3469776/pdf/nihms406511.pdf
Liao CI, Francoeur AA, Kapp DS, et al. (2022) Trends in human papillomavirus-associated cancers, demographic characteristics, and vaccinations in the US, 2001-2017. JAMA Netw Open;5(3):e222530. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8928005/
Lingen MW, Abt E, Agrawal N, et al. (October 2017) Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the evaluation of potentially malignant disorders in the oral cavity: A report of the American Dental Association. J Am Dent Assoc;148(10):712-727. Retrieved from https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30701-8/fulltext
Mayo Clinic. (October 2020) What is Mouth Cancer? A Mayo Clinic Expert Explains. Mouth Cancer. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20350997
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (July 2018) Oral Cancer. National Institute of Health. Retrieved from https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/oral-cancer
Reinberg, S. (July 2021) One-third of U.S. adults went without dental care, even before pandemic. Health News. United Press International. Retrieved from https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/07/09/adults-dental-care/3261625837980/
Sankaranarayanan R, Ramadas K, Amarasinghe H, et al. (November 2015) Oral Cancer: Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment. In: Gelband H, Jha P, Sankaranarayanan R, et al., editors. Cancer: Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 3). Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; Chapter 5. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK343649/
Comments
Post a Comment