• 11/30/2005
  • Victoria, Australia
  • Lorna Edwards
  • The Age (theage.com.au)

UP TO four Victorians are diagnosed with oral cancer every week, with more than a quarter of them dying from the disease. The cancer claimed the lives of 43 men and 22 women in Victoria in 2003, with 230 people diagnosed that year, according to Cancer Council Victoria figures released yesterday.

“I’m sure the public aren’t aware of the strong connection between tobacco use and mouth cancer,” said council director Professor David Hill.

Almost 60 per cent of those diagnosed with oral cancer are smokers. Alcohol significantly boosts the risk, with more than three-quarters of those diagnosed being frequent drinkers.

Symptoms of oral cancer — which occurs in the tongue, gum, floor of the mouth or internal cheek — include swelling, non-healing ulcers, colour change and persistent bleeding. Five years after being diagnosed with the disease, just over half the patients will still be alive.

Many face extensive surgery, facial disfigurement, loss of teeth and difficulty in speech, said Todd Harper, director of anti-smoking organisation Quit. But quitting smoking dramatically reduces the risk of contracting oral cancer.

“Within five years, their risk has dropped by a half,” Mr Harper said.

A detailed colour picture of a mouth afflicted with oral cancer will appear as one of the new cigarette packet health labels next year.

“Smokers are going to be shocked on March 1 when they start to buy packets with a very graphic picture of mouth cancer and bad teeth as a result of smoking,” Professor Hill said.

“Some of these things will turn your stomach — but the point, is getting cancer is much worse than that,” he said.

Oral cancer survivor Jean-Loup Komarower, who quit smoking 15 years ago, discovered he had the disease after having a tooth removed in 2003.

His right jawbone was removed and replaced with bone from his leg, followed by radiotherapy treatment.

“If I had known what I was going to suffer, I would never, never have smoked,” he said.

“At the time I had no idea and I was doing what other people were doing around me, thinking, ‘It won’t happen to you.”‘