Mouth cancer can affect the lips, tongue, cheeks and throat.
There are 4,400 new cases and 1,700 deaths every year in the UK, and those figures are increasing each year.
Survival chances are much improved with early detection, so the number of deaths could be greatly reduced if people were more aware of the symptoms.
The first sign of mouth cancer is often a non-healing mouth ulcer or a red or white patch in the mouth. It is important that you examine your own mouth on a regular basis. If you have a mouth ulcer that hasn’t healed after three weeks, or you notice any unusual changes in your mouth you should visit your dentist as soon as possible for an examination.
Mouth cancer is most common in people over 40 who smoke or drink alcohol. It is also twice as likely to strike men as women.
However, the number of young people and women developing the condition has been increasing in recent years.
You can cut your risk of developing mouth cancer by living a healthy lifestyle. Visit our How can I prevent it? section for more information.
If mouth cancer is diagnosed in its early stages it can respond well to treatment and the chances of a complete cure are good. This is why regular dental check-ups are so important.
Tarih : 14 February 2007 Çarsamba
Hit : 808
|
Tooth
