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April is Oral Cancer Awareness MonthNEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Every hour, 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year, someone dies of oral or oropharyngeal cancer (cancer of the back of the oral cavity and upper throat). Yet if oral cancer is detected and treated early, treatment-related health problems are reduced, and survival rates may increase. This year an estimated 54,600 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. Of those individuals, 43 percent will not survive longer than five years, and many who do survive suffer long-term problems, such as severe facial disfigurement or difficulties with eating and speaking. The death rate associated with oral and oropharyngeal cancers remains particularly high because the cancers routinely are discovered late in their development. This April, as the nation observes the 24th Annual Oral Cancer Awareness Month, the Academy of General Dentistry Foundation (https://www.agd.org/agd-foundation), the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (https://aaomp.org), American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (https://aaomr.org), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (https://myoms.org), the American Academy of Oral Medicine (https://www.aaom.com), the American Academy of Periodontology (https://www.perio.org), the American College of Prosthodontics (https://www.prosthodontics.org), the American Dental Hygiene Association (https://www.adha.org), the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (https://www.cdha.ca) and the California Dental Hygienists' Association (https://www.cdha.org) are again joining the non-profit Oral Cancer Foundation (https://oralcancerfoundation.org) in its campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity of oral cancer screenings, and the importance of early detection. Regular oral cancer examinations performed by your oral health professional remain the best method for detecting oral cancer in its early stages. Be Mindful of Symptoms: Public Urged to "Check Your Mouth" Signs and symptoms of oral cancer which is predominantly caused by tobacco usage and/or excessive alcohol usage may include one or more of the following:
Signs and symptoms of HPV-caused oropharyngeal cancer may include one or more of the following (which may persist longer than two-three weeks):
Always call your dentist right away if there are any immediate concerns. Risk Factors The sexually transmitted human papillomavirus 16 (HPV) is related to the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (most commonly involving lymphoid tissue occurring in the tonsils or the base of the tongue). Approximately 99 percent of people who develop an HPV oral infection will clear the virus on their own. In approximately one percent of individuals, the immune system will not clear the virus and it can lay dormant for decades before potentially causing a cancer. This occurs mostly in a non-smoking population composed of males four to one over females. If you have never had an oral cancer examination, there is no better time to schedule one than during Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April. When you do, be sure to ask that this examination be made a routine part of all your future dental check-ups. For more information about oral cancer and its diagnosis and treatment, visit the websites of the partner organizations listed, or visit the oral cancer foundations main web site at www.oralcancer.org About Oral Cancer Awareness Month View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/april-is-oral-cancer-awareness-month-301782693.html SOURCE Oral Cancer Foundation |