In the UK around 5000 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed annually.
The number of new mouth cancer cases increased by more than 17% percent in the last 4 years.
3 out of every 190 cases of Mouth Cancer are found in the mouth generally - and one out of every 4 are found specifically on the tongue
How aware are the public?
The British Dental Health Foundation Mouth Cancer Survey 2008 found that around one in five people have never even heard of mouth cancer.
Over 80% of people recognised smoking as a major risk factor - yet only 1 in 2 people correctly identified alcohol as the cause
What groups are most at risk?
Tobacco uses and drinking are still the main risk factors and are thought to account for around 80% of mouth cancer. People who smoke andf drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the contdition
Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition - especially women.
50 Years ago mouth cancer was 5 times more commom in men than women - now it is only twice as common as more and more women are diagnosed.
27% believed spicy foods to be the main risk factir - which it is NOT!
16% vene thought that kissing could cause it.
There is increasing evidence which shows that oral sex can be a contributary factor in passing on the disease, via the transmission of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which can be found in the lining of the mouth and throat, the cervix and the anus. Patients need to be made aware of this important issue and further help and information on how to approach this with patients may be obtained by contacting the foundation at www.dentalhealth.org.
What is the mortality rate?
Around 1600-1800 people die of mouth cancer in the Uk every year - or on average one every 5 hours.
Early detection and treatment is critical as it considerably increases survival chances, allows for simpler treatment and results in a better quality of life for sufferers.
Finally and importantly there is a growing body of evidence which shows that some patients who reported positive for Mouth Cancer persent with apparently none of the risk factors. More work on this important aspect of this disease is required and the foundation will increasingly be focusing on this worrying development in this year.
