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LATEST NEWS

Oral Cancer: What you need to know

This year alone, more than 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer and 8,000 will die of the disease. Oral cancer is as common as leukemia and kills more Americans each year than either skin or cervical cancer and oral cancer is a major cause of death and disfigurement in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Patients with oral cancer have a poor prognosis, and the 5-year survival rate of approximately 50% has remained unchanged for the past 50 years. Perhaps the single most important reason for this is the fact that oral cancers continue to be diagnosed in advanced stages. Research studies have repeatedly demonstrated that the survival rate for oral cancer patients increases dramatically when the diagnosis is established in early stages.

The risk of oral cancer increases with tobacco use, alcohol consumption and, most recently, the HPV virus acquired through sexual contact.

At home you can periodically check your lips, tongue, under your tongue and mouth in a mirror. Call us if you have experience any of these symptoms:

• Sores or rough spots that do not heal within 2 weeks.
• Lumps on the lip or in the mouth or throat
• White or red patches on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
• Unusual bleeding, pain, or numbness in the mouth
• A sore throat that does not go away, or a feeling that something is caught in the throat
• Difficulty or pain with chewing or swallowing

…What we are doing in our office for the early detection of Oral Cancer? At your next hygiene appointment ask to have the Oral Cancer Screening Test. This only takes 1 minute!! Vizi-Lite detects anything cancerous in your mouth instantly! Call now for more information.