REMARKABLY mouth cancer kills more people every year than road traffic accidents. In reality this means that one person is told that they have mouth cancer every 77 minutes and it’s one of few cancers that experts predict will continue to increase in the coming years.
However,one in 10 of us have never even heard of mouth cancer. A new poll of more than 2,000 people has revealed that many of us simply do not know enough about the risks to protect ourselves and it has highlighted a number of worrying myths surrounding mouth cancer.
Half of those surveyed incorrectly believed that hot and spicy foods and obesity were linked to the disease. In actual fact, smoking is the leading cause of mouth cancer.
Smokers are three times more likely than non-smokers to develop mouth cancer as the chemicals in tobacco smoke transform saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and turns them cancerous. The Cancer Research UK survey also found that too many of us remain unaware of the other major causes, including excess alcohol consumption, poor diet, oral sex and the sun.
The myths identified in the poll did not just extend to the risk factors, however. Many of us were also unable to identify the signs of mouth cancer, with almost half of those surveyed believing bleeding gums, due to gum disease, are a sign of mouth cancer.
People should really be on the lookout for mouth ulcers which do not heal within three weeks, red or while patches in the mouth and any unusual swellings. If you have any of these signs then you should visit a dentist or doctor as soon as possible.
On the up side if it’s caught early, the chances of surviving mouth cancer are nine out of 10 – those odds are pretty good and that’s why early detection is so important.
You can also help protect yourself from oral cancer by using a good sun cream, regular sexual health checks and cutting down on your smoking or drinking. Plenty of fruit and vegetables helps the body to protect itself, in general, from many cancers. When brushing your teeth, look out for any changes in your mouth and report them to the dental team.
If in doubt, get checked out.
