Oral (Mouth) Cancer - Early detection makes all the difference

Cancer can occur in the mouth, where the disease can affect the lips, tongue, cheeks and/or throat.

Anyone can be affected by oral cancer, whether they have their own teeth or not. Mouth cancers are more common in people over 40, particularly men. However, research has shown that oral cancer is becoming more common in younger patients and in women.

What are the risk factors?

The main risk factors for oral cancer are:

• Smoking
• High alcohol intake – especially coupled with smoking
• Ultraviolet light from the sun
• Chewing betel nut or tobacco

What are the signs and symptoms of oral cancer?

The success of oral cancer treatment depends largely on early detection, and early implementation of treatment. For this reason, regular examination of your mouth is important to pick up early signs of the disease. This is done at your dental check-up, but you can also examine your own mouth at home by checking your lips, gums, tongue, roof of mouth, under the tongue and cheeks for:

• Sores or ulcers that do not heal within two weeks
• Swellings, lumps or bumps
• White, red or dark patches
• Repeated bleeding
• Numbness, loss of feeling, or pain

  

What can I do if I am worried?

If you discover anything out of the ordinary - particularly if it does not go away in two weeks - discuss it with your dentist or GP. Your dentist or GP will be able to check it for you, and let you know what (if anything) needs to be done about it. 

The best rule of thumb is, if in doubt, check it out!