For more than a decade, there has been an increase in occurrence of head and
neck cancers—known as oral cancer—in the United States.
ABOUT ORAL CANCER
Oral Cancer is when an abnormal
group of cells develops on the surface
of the tongue, mouth, lips or gums.
Less commonly, it can occur in the
salivary glands, tonsils and the part of
the throat leading from your mouth
to your windpipe (the pharynx). In
early development, there may be no
physical symptoms at all—therefore,
patients may not even be aware of the
disease's presence. For this reason,
routine, professional oral cancer
screenings are of critical importance.
If detected early (in stages 1 or 2),
the survival rate among oral cancer
patients may be as high as 80%-90%.
However, when found in late stages
(stages 3 or 4), the chances of survival
are as low as 20%-30%. Unfortunately,
in more than half the cases oral
cancer is found in its later stages, a
major factor in the high death rate.
Approximately 50,00 people in the
United States will be diagnosed
with oral or oropharyngeal cancer in
2019. Worldwide, new cases of oral
and oropharyngeal cancer exceed a
devastating 640,000 people per year.
Yet awareness of oral cancer and its
risk factors continue to 'fly below the
radar' of the public.
CAUSES OF ORAL CANCER
For decades, tobacco use was the
number one risk factor for oral cancer,
with a higher incidence among
older people. Today, Human Papilloma
Virus number 16 (HPV16)—a
common, sexually transmitted
virus—has replaced tobacco as the
number one cause of oral cancers.
This shift has also made people in a
younger age range (25–50) the fastest
growing segment of oral cancer
patients. The same virus responsible
for the majority of cervical cancers
in women, HPV16 in oral cancer
patients tends to localize in the back
of the mouth, or in the tonsils, oropharynx,
or at the base of the tongue,
making it more difficult to detect.
ORAL CANCER
The Silent Killer
Oral cancer screenings for
early detection are critical.
NEAL M. SOLAR, DMD
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