09 Nov November is Mouth Cancer Action Month
Posted at 10:18h
in Walk With a Doc
The Digestive System starts in the Mouth
Mouth cancer causes more deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or melanomas.
Symptoms of Mouth Cancer:
- An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks.
- A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks.
- Difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue.
- Numbness of tongue or other area of the mouth.
- A feeling that something is caught in the throat.
- A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks.
- Unexplained loosening of teeth.
Risk Factors for Mouth Cancer:
- Tobacco use is the main cause of mouth cancer.
- Drinking alcohol excessively can increase the risks four fold.
- Drinkers and smokers are 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.
- The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), transmitted through oral sex, could overtake tobacco and alcohol as the main risk factor within the next decade.
