Word on Head and Neck Cancer

Our grateful thanks to Michelle Vickers from Oracle Head and Neck Cancer UK for her input to this weeks radio report, which you can hear again further down this page.  Our thanks also to NHS Choices for the use of the information below.

Head and Neck Cancer can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, throat, salivary glands, pharynx, and other sites located in the head and neck area. 

Every year in Europe, around 100,800 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer and almost 40,000 die from the disease.

These forms of cancer have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma.

Oral and pharyngeal cancer are the sixth most common malignancies reported worldwide and have high mortality rates. Mouth and oropharyngeal cancers are more common in older people.  However, an increasing number of young people are being affected and 25% of the cases have no associated significant risk factors.

They are also more common in men than women.  But rates of these cancers in women have been increasing in recent years. 

Although there have been significant improvements in chemotherapy and surgical techniques, mouth cancer is often particularly challenging to treat since most patients present with advanced disease, have secondary tumours and suffer from other co-morbidities.

In the UK, the survival rate is just over 50%, despite treatment, and this is because of late detection. Early diagnosis gives patients a 90 per cent chance of survival.

In its very early stages, mouth cancers can be almost invisible making it easy to ignore.

Regular visits to your dentist will ensure you are professionally screened for signs of mouth cancer. Talk to your dentist about the process and mouth cancer risk factors. In the meantime if you spot any of the warning signs thats concern you, contact your GP, immediately.

Spotting the signs - It is important to perform regular, self-examinations to help in the early identification of mouth cancer, which include;  

• A sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks
• A lump or overgrowth of tissue anywhere in the mouth
• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Difficulty in chewing or moving the jaw or tongue?
• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth
• A feeling that something is caught in the throat

Listen to this weeks radio report