November is Mouth Cancer Action Month

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.