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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Sammy Noumbissi, DDS, MS
Oral Cancer Rates On the Rise
Miles of Smiles Implant Surgery
. https://www.milesofsmilesdental.net/

Oral Cancer Rates On the Rise

The death rate for oral cancer exceeds most known cancers, killing one person, per hour, per day.

Dentists are seeing an alarming increase in the oral cancer rates in the United States, and affecting a wider, diverse group of Americans. More than 34,000 people will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 34,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in five years. This is a number, which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than cancers, which we hear about routinely, such as

Breast cancer

Cervical cancer

Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Laryngeal cancer

Cancer of the testes

Endocrine system cancers thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma)

The death rate associated with oral cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. Often it is only discovered when the cancer has metastasized to another location, most likely the lymph nodes of the neck. It may not be noticed by the patient, as it can frequently prosper without producing pain or symptoms they might readily recognize, and because it has a high risk of producing second, primary tumors. This means that patients, who survive a first encounter with the disease, have up to a 20 times higher risk of developing a second cancer. This heightened risk factor can last for 5-10 years after the first occurrence. There are several types of oral cancers, but around 90% are squamous cell carcinomas.

Early Detection

One only has to look at the impact of the annual PAP smear, mammogram, and prostate exam, to see how effectively an aware and involved public can contribute to early detection, when coupled with a motivated medical community. The dental community needs to assume this same leadership role if oral cancer is to be brought down from its undeserved high ranking as a killer. Published studies show that currently less than 15% of those who visit a dentist regularly, report having had an oral cancer screening. This is unfortunate, when you consider that historically, the greatest strides in combating most cancers have come from increased awareness and aggressive campaigns directed at early detection. It is now commonplace to annually get a PAP smear for cervical cancer, a mammogram to check for breast cancer, or PSA and digital rectal exams for prostate cancer.

Smokeless Tobacco

While historically the majority of people are over the age of 40 at the time of discovery, it does occur in those under this age. Exact causes for those affected at a younger age are now becoming clearer in peer reviewed research. There are links to young men and women who use conventional “smokeless” chewing or spit tobacco. Promoted by some as a safer alternative to smoking, it has in actuality not proven to be any safer to those who use it when referring to oral cancers.

Gender Perspectives

From a gender perspective, for decades this has been a cancer, which affected six men for every woman. That ratio has now become two men to each woman. Again, while published studies do not exist to draw finite conclusions, we will probably find that this increase is due to lifestyle changes, primarily the increased number of women smokers over the last few decades. It is a cancer, which occurs twice as often in the black population as in whites, and survival statistics for blacks over five years are also poorer at 33%, versus 55% for whites.

Other Risk Factors

Very recent data (late 2007-2008) lead us to believe that the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population, are non smokers under the age of fifty, which would indicate a paradigm shift in the cause of the disease. A recent study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center furthered the premise that HPV is linked with certain types of oral cancer. HPV 16 and HPV 18 are forms of the Human Papilloma Virus, which are sexually transmitted; they are known to cause up to 95% of cervical cancers, and new studies show that they may be linked to oral cancer as well. These HPV associated cancers are occurring in young individuals (30-40 years of age) who have never smoked, do not smoke and/or do not drink alcohol excessively. These two oral cancer related viruses are only transmitted through direct contact not the bloodstream, they are thought to be partially responsible for the rise in oral cancer despite the decrease of smoking and tobacco chewing.

Diet

There are studies which indicate a diet low in fruits and vegetables could be a risk factor, and that conversely, one high in these foods may have a protective value against many types of cancer.

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