ROSEMONT, Ill., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2011 Oral Cancer Awareness Week, set for April 11-15, is intended to educate people of all ages and socio-economic levels about the risk factors and symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer and the importance of early detection. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) agrees with the Oral Cancer Foundation, which conceived the awareness week observance, that it is critical oral cancers receive the national media attention necessary to raise public awareness. The Oral Cancer Foundation points out that the high death rate traditionally associated with oral cancer is not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but because the cancer has historically been discovered late in its development.  In its early stages, oral cancer may – and often does - go unnoticed because there are no blatant symptoms or pain.  This only underscores the importance of establishing a regimen to include regular self-examinations and examination by a dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon at least annually. The mouth is one of the easiest parts of your body to examine yourself. Also, changes in the mouth can be easily seen, so oral cancer can be detected in its early stages. The key to early detection is performing a self-examination regularly. Examining your mouth each month will help you identify changes or new growths early. And, early detection is important in increasing the chance of a cure. Factors That May Cause Cancer According to the National Institutes of Health, [...]