Oral, Head
& Neck Cancer Awareness Month
Is
oral cancer common?
-Approximately
42,000 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year. As you are well aware, dentists are
often the first line of defense against oral cancer, through the process of
early discovery. (Oral Cancer Foundation, 2013)
Early detection is
critical
-Majority
of oral cancers are detected in later stages of cancer leading to a high death
rate. Published studies show that currently less than 15% of those who visited
a dentist regularly, reported having had an oral cancer screening. (Oral Cancer
Foundation, 2013) At Nicollet Mall Dental Arts, we preform an oral cancer
screening at every preventive appointment.
Who is at risk?
-Most people come to
oral cancer by two distinct pathways.
1.
Though the use of tobacco and alcohol.
2. Exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human
papilloma virus version 16) HPV is a newly identified etiology, and the same
one which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers in women.
A
small percentage of people, fewer than 7%, get oral cancers from no currently
identifiable cause. It is currently believed that these are likely related to
some genetic predisposition. (Oral Cancer Foundation, 2013).
Please
view the following clips about oral cancer.
