November is Mouth Cancer awareness month, but we think it is important to keep the awareness, education and availability of information prominent all year long. One person every three hours is lost to mouth cancer meaning in the UK it is responsible for more deaths than road traffic accidents. The number of people losing their life has increased by 46% in the last decade in the UK. This is a trend we need to change!
More than half of mouth cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed at stage IV, where the cancer is at its most advanced. This makes it vital that people are aware of the symptoms and can act fast to catch the illness early. Things to look out for are:
- Ulcers that do not heal after 3 weeks
- Pain or discomfort in and around the mouth
- Lumps or swelling with no obvious cause in the mouth and neck
- Bleeding from the mouth or throat
- Red or white patches in the mouth
- Changes in texture in the mouth
- Teeth that become loose
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing or moving the jaw
- Persistent hoarseness or changes in voice
- Persistent coughing or the feeling that something is ‘stuck’ in your throat
- Numbness or tingling of the lips or tongue
- Unexplained weight loss
- Dentures that suddenly don’t fit anymore
The mouth cancer foundation has been working hard since 2004 to raise awareness for mouth cancer and have developed a 2 minute check you should do once a month to make sure you spot any signs or symptoms early. Visit their website at www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/self-examination/ to see how you can perform your self check.
You can help spread the message by passing on this advice to friends and family, sharing our social media posts and donating to the Mouth Cancer Foundation.