Skip to main content

ORAL CANCER

ORAL CANCER
 
 
 
 
 
Oral cancer kills one American every hour of every day, according to the National Cancer Institute. The death is higher than many better known cancers such as melanoma.
  • Only 50 percent of those diagnosed with oral cancer will survive more than five years.
  • Early detection of oral cancer offers the best chance of survival, yet only one-third of oral cavity cancer is found in the earliest stages when treatment is most effective.
  • Men and women are both at risk. In the 1950s, men older than 40 were six times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than women. By 1997, this male-to-female ratio was 2 to 1.
  • One-third of oral cancer now occurs in patients younger than 55.
  • One in seven people newly diagnosed with oral cancer were younger than 40, according to recent Johns Hopkins studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine. 25 percent of this group had no traditional risk factors.
  • Strong association exists between oral cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV), the same virus associated with cervical cancer in women. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, there is a link between oral sex and the potential development of oral cancer.
  • People who use tobacco are six times more likely to develop oral cancer. Eight of 10 oral cancer patients are smokers.
  • 80 percent of people diagnosed with oral cancer consume more than 21 drinks weekly.
  • About two-thirds of cancer of the mouth or oral cavity occurs in the floor of mouth and tongue, but can occur in the upper or lower jaw, lips, gums and cheek lining. Just behind the mouth is an area known as the orophyarnx. Oropharyngeal cancer (one-third of cases) occurs in the back of the tongue, tonsils and throat tissue.

    • Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    How much toothpaste are you using?

    The bristles do most of the cleaning, so we’re actually overdoing it when it comes to toothpaste. All you need is a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste to get the job done. Kids younger than 6 should use even less—about the size of a grain of rice.
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    How Long Should You Wait After Eating Before Brushing Your Teeth?

    You should wait at least 30 minutes after eating, before brushing those pearly whites. High acid levels in your saliva immediately after eating, combined with the abrasive action of the toothbrush can wear away tooth enamel.
    1 comment
    Read more

    Dry Mouth

    We all need saliva to moisten and cleanse our mouths and to digest food. Saliva also prevents infection, by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth. When you don't make enough saliva, your mouth gets dry and uncomfortable. What Causes Dry Mouth? A common side effect of many prescription and nonprescription drugs, including drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, and colds (antihistamines and decongestants), obesity, acne, epilepsy, hypertension (diuretics), diarrhea, nausea, psychotic disorders, urinary incontinence, asthma, and Parkinson's disease. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of muscle relaxants and sedatives. Preventing Tooth Decay Due to Dry Mouth: Without saliva, tooth decay and gum disease are more likely to occur. If you have a dry mouth, to combat tooth decay and gum disease, you need to be extra careful about following good oral hygiene habits, which consist of: Brushing your teeth at least twice a day, but even more preferably, afte...
    Post a Comment
    Read more