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Health & Fitness

Dentist Sandy Springs - Oral Cancer Awareness

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month.

According to The Oral Cancer Foundation, there are two
distinct causes of oral cancer. One, which I have mentioned in an earlier
article is through the use of tobacco (and alcohol), a long time historic environmental
cause, and the other is through the exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human
papilloma virus version 16), which is a newly identified etiology, and
apparently the same one which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical
cancers in women.  And a small number (under
5 %) of people acquire oral cancers from no currently identifiable cause, presumably
caused by some genetic predisposition similar to other cancer causing agents.

While most think this is a rare form of cancer, mouth cancer
(popularly thought to be the result of chewing tobacco) is diagnosed in about
100 individuals each day here in the US alone, and one person dies from oral
cancer every hour of every day.  If you
add the sub category of laryngeal throat cancers like Michael Douglas was
recently treated for (and most likely a result of his smoking and consumption
of alcohol), the rates of occurrence accounting for about 10,000 additional new
cases per year, then the death rate is significantly higher.   But these statistics can be drastically reduced
when found at the early stages of development. 
With early diagnosis, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 % survival
rate.

Unfortunately at this time, the majority of cases are found
as late stage cancers, and this accounts for the very high death rate of about
45% at five years from diagnosis.  The
reason for these late stage diagnoses is not because these cancers are hard to
discover, rather it is because of a lack of public awareness.  The American Dental Association
states that only 60% of the US population sees a dentist every year, which
leaves 40% to happenstance.    If heightened public awareness were
coupled with a national program for screenings, diagnosis of oral cancers would
yield early discovery by both medical and dental professionals.

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Ironically, it is potentially easier to obtain public
compliance to oral cancer screenings, because unlike many other cancer
screening procedures, there is no invasive technique required to look for it,
no discomfort or pain involved, and it is very inexpensive to have your mouth
examined for the early signs of disease. 
Realistically, it only costs about $35.00, usually 10 times less than a
blood test at your annual physical.

It is important that patients realize that a visit to
the dentist is no longer about a filling, a crown, or a postponable cleaning,
but actually an exam that is a matter of life and death.  It’s important for patients and dentists to start
a dialog today.  Even if talking about
cancer is difficult, there are mechanisms around this.  Creating awareness, discovery and diagnosis
is the purpose of April being Oral Cancer Awareness Month.  So when it comes to oral cancer and saving
lives, these are primary responsibilities of the dental community.  The most important step in reducing the death
rate from oral cancer is early discovery. 
And no group has a better opportunity to have an impact than members of
the dental community.   If our practice can be of help we are offering
free cancer screening during the month of April.

Find out what's happening in Sandy Springswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Some Research and
statistics provided by: The Oral Cancer Foundation.  Kuper H, Adami HO, Boffetta P (June 2002). "Tobacco
use, cancer causation and public health impact". Journal of internal medicine 251 (6): 455–66. Seitz HK, Pöschl G,
Simanowski UA (1998). "Alcohol and cancer". Recent developments in alcoholism : an
official publication of the American Medical Society on Alcoholism, the
Research Society on Alcoholism, and the National Council on Alcoholism.
"Screening for Oral Cancer". U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force
. 2004. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsoral.htm.

 

Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC                                                                              

290 Carpenter Drive, 200A                                                             

Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328

404-256-3620

www.rightsmilecenter.com

info@rightsmilecenter.com

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