Trends need to be reversed for mouth cancer in the UK
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 13th March 2024
There are more than 8,800 new cases of mouth cancer diagnosed in the UK every year. Sadly, over 3,000 people lose their lives to the disease annually.[i] The incidence of oral cancer has increased by 97% in the past two decades to reach current numbers,[ii] so it is more important than ever to improve public awareness and understanding of the associated risk factors.
Mr Mahesh Kumar is the President of the Mouth Cancer Foundation. He considers how the pandemic has affected mouth cancer rates:
“Recent statistics have come out to suggest that mouth cancer is increasing in the UK post-Covid.
“The pandemic significantly impacted access to dentists and to doctors for the general public. Given that many referrals for mouth cancer come from dentists, a lack of dental appointments meant that diagnoses were down during the pandemic and more have been delayed since then. Indeed, my suspicion is that patients continued to delay their presentation to the dental practice – there is evidence to show that patients presented in 2023 rather than in 2022, suggesting more patients came when they had better access to dental care and were then referred on after some months. Even now, many patients are struggling to see an NHS dentist and don’t have the means to seek private dental care.”
In order to make a positive difference to current trends and arrest the growing number of mouth cancer diagnoses, access to dental care must be improved. So too must public education in the area. Only by understanding how to reduce their risks and knowing what signs to look out for can people increase their chance of an early diagnosis – which in turn increases survival rates.[iii]
Dental professionals are heavily involved in the provision of information and education, charged with the task of engaging patients in their oral health so as to be more aware of the threat of mouth cancer. Though there is no way to guarantee the avoidance of any type of cancer, key lifestyle and health behaviours can go a long way to reducing risk and improving a patient’s chances of beating mouth cancer should they be affected in the future.
My Kumar highlights the key areas of the dental team’s role:
“One of the most important tools that dental professionals can use is to help patients appreciate the impact of preventive measures. This might involve recommending and supporting smoking cessation, or helping patients to stop chewing paan or tobacco products. It might mean encouraging patients to limit their consumption of alcohol or review their exercise habits.
“The second role of the dental team is to be equipped to clinically identify mouth cancer early and refer patients quickly, following the two-week urgent protocol. All general dental practitioners should be screening for mouth cancer when they see patients, certainly during a new patient consultation, but also periodically after that.”
For any member of the dental team looking to refresh and refine their knowledge and skills in this field, be sure not to miss BDIA Dental Showcase 2024. Not only will this once again present the UK’s largest dental exhibition, but there will also be a comprehensive programme of lectures with an array of highly experienced and passionate speakers.
Mr Kumar will be among the speaker line-up in the Oral Health Theatre, where he will be sharing some of the latest research findings, facts and guidance to help dental professionals review and bolster their own practice protocols in the field. Outlining some of the topic he hopes to cover, Mr Kumar says:
“I will discuss what mouth cancer is, how it is characterised and what the potential causes are. The session will also explore how we manage the condition in secondary care and I will be introducing the Mouth Cancer Foundation, alongside the support it offers patients and professionals. I hope that delegates attending the session take away a deeper understanding of the disease and how some of the challenges we face as a society can be overcome for the good of the nation. I’m looking forward to BDIA Dental Showcase – there is always good attendance by dentists and other dental professionals. Thank you to the team for inviting me to speak in 2024.”
There’s not much time left to book your place and plan your visit, so be sure to secure you place for BDIA Showcase 2024 – 22nd-23rd March at London ExCeL – online today.
BDIA Dental Showcase 2024
22nd-23rd March
ExCeL London
[i] Mouth Cancer Foundation. Facts and figures about mouth cancer. https://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmZGrBhAnEiwAo9qHicfZIxh7YGEyr_9o8WftZxito79xNqW1zRKZj5zFQqeuy9LRWkEw0RoCwT0QAvD_BwE[Accessed November 2023]
[ii] College of General Dentistry. Oral cancer. https://cgdent.uk/oral-cancer/ [Accessed November 2023]
[iii] Sankaranarayanan R, Ramadas K, Amarasinghe H, et al. Oral Cancer: Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment. In: Gelband H, Jha P, Sankaranarayanan R, et al., editors. Cancer: Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 3). Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2015 Nov 1. Chapter 5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK343649/ doi: 10.1596/978-1-4648-0349-9_ch5
