screenings – Oral Cancer News

When a dentist dies from oral cancer

Source: www.dentistrytoday.com Author: Dr. Parul Dua Makkar & Dr. Sanjukta Mohant Dr. Manu Dua, a dentist practicing in Calgary, Alberta, discovered a lesion on his tongue around his 33rd birthday. He showed a photo of it to his sister, Parul, who is a dentist practicing in New York. “Get it biopsied,” she pleaded. He replied, “It can’t be cancer. I’m too young.” Less than 2 years later, Dr. Manu Dua died from oral cancer. He was 34. Manu had no risk factors for oral cancer. He was young and didn’t smoke. He only had an occasional drink. He was athletic and had a healthy diet. No one would suspect that the lesion on his tongue was cancer, not even him, not even the oral surgeon who thought it was lichen planus and prescribed him a steroid. His symptoms worsened: trouble speaking, pain on eating, and difficulty sleeping. Then came the devastating biopsy result – Stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. The cancer was treated by removing the left half of Manu’s tongue and the lymph nodes from the left side of his neck. His tongue was repaired using the radial artery from his left arm and skin from his right thigh. He had to learn to speak, chew and swallow again. He recovered quickly and returned to the dental office that he recently opened. Less than a year later, he noticed swelling on the left side of his neck after he had a restoration. The cancer was back. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-12-15T16:57:01-07:00December, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Source: www.prnewswire.com Author: press release April marks oral cancer awareness month, and this year the Academy of General Dentistry is calling on dentists and patients to increase dialogue and screenings to address the growing number of oral cancer cases. Nearly 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer each year and of those diagnoses, roughly a fifth will result in death*. Oral cancer cases have increased in the past two decades, linked to the spread of oral HPV**. "Oral cancer is often called the silent killer because it silently invades the body during early stages, and patients don't notice symptoms until it is quite advanced," said Manuel Cordero DDS, CPH, MAGD, president, Academy of General Dentistry. "Vaccination against HPV is the first line of defense for young people, but screenings are critical for the broader population. Most people don't realize screenings are part of their six-month dental checkups, and that needs to change." In a 2017 survey, the Academy of General Dentistry found that only 25 percent of Americans view their dentist as an expert on oral cancer screenings – even though screenings are part of regular checkups. "It's time for patients and dentists to talk more openly about oral cancer, starting with screenings, as well as preventative measures like HPV vaccination and not using tobacco," added Dr. Cordero. For more information on oral cancer awareness, and to schedule a dental checkup with screening, visit: www.agd.org/agd-foundation/our-programs/oral-cancer-screenings. * https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2018-04-04T09:04:09-07:00April, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

Spreading awareness and saving lives — Oral Cancer Foundation’s Walk for Awareness may be coming to a city near you!

Source: www.prnewswire.com Author: press release Oral cancer has historically existed outside the awareness of much of the public, yet in the U.S. it claims one life every hour of every day of the year. This year alone, approximately 45,750 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer. This number is on the rise and The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) needs help spreading awareness about this devastating disease. OCF is working in communities across the country to bring "Walk for Awareness" events to the public, and with them the opportunity to engage in a conversation that too few people are having. These events raise awareness of a disease that far too many Americans have never even heard of. Most events also incorporate free to the public oral cancer screenings, providing the opportunity to educate attendees about the early signs and symptoms of oral cancer while also instilling the importance of early detection and need for annual oral cancer screenings. To see if an OCF Walk for Awareness is taking place near you, visit oralcancer.org and click support to view an interactive map of the organization's upcoming events. OCF has been raising awareness and providing support in communities for 16 years in cities scattered across the US. Here are a just a few of the remaining Fall 2015 events: The 5th Annual Oral Cancer Foundation Walk/Fun Run for Awareness - Twin Cities, Minnesota, will take place this Sunday, September 27, 2015 at City of Eagan Community Center. For more details, to register and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-10-13T20:24:31-07:00September, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

LED Dental Joins With the Oral Cancer Foundation to promote oral cancer early detection initiative

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release LED Dental Inc. has announced that the company will be serving as a strategic partner in the Oral Cancer Foundation's "Be Part of the Change"(TM) program, seeking to promote the importance of routine comprehensive oral screenings and early detection in the fight against oral cancer. The Oral Cancer Foundation initiated the "Be Part of the Change"(TM) campaign to help promote a shift in paradigm with regard to the screening for oral cancer, creating a movement toward earlier detection of oral disease. While regular oral screenings are a key tool in the early detection of oral cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, many patients are not receiving routine oral examinations that could potentially locate a serious oral health concern. The Oral Cancer Foundation is working to change the mindset of the oral healthcare industry, making improved oral screening protocols a priority in every dental practice. "The best defense any patient has against oral disease and oral cancer is early detection, which is where dental practitioners can effect change," said Brian Hill, founder and executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. "When oral cancer is located in earlier stages, there is higher probability for reduced treatment related morbidity and improved patient outcomes. Our goal is to get healthcare professionals to commit to performing routine comprehensive oral examinations on every patient, especially during hygiene visits and recall appointments." As the manufacturer of the market-leading VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment, LED Dental has joined the Oral Cancer Foundation's cause, providing a free [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-05-18T22:22:16-07:00April, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Coupling head and neck cancer screening and lung cancer scans could improve early detection, survival

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff Adding head and neck cancer screenings to recommended lung cancer screenings would likely improve early detection and survival, according to a multidisciplinary team led by scientists affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), a partner with UPMC CancerCenter. In an analysis published in the journal Cancer and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the team provides a rationale for a national clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of adding examination of the head and neck to lung cancer screening programs. People most at risk for lung cancer are also those most at risk for head and neck cancer. "When caught early, the five-year survival rate for head and neck cancer is over 83 percent," said senior author Brenda Diergaarde, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health and member of the UPCI. "However, the majority of cases are diagnosed later when survival rates generally shrink below 50 percent. There is a strong need to develop strategies that will result in identification of the cancer when it can still be successfully treated." Screening patients for head and neck cancer and lung cancer could improve early detection and survival. Head and neck cancer is the world's sixth-most common type of cancer. Worldwide every year, 600,000 people are diagnosed with it and about 350,000 die. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption are the major risk factors for developing the cancer. The early symptoms are typically a lump or sore in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-01-07T19:39:34-07:00January, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer in transplant patients: For better or worse?

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: Henry Ford Health System staff Transplant patients who develop head and neck cancer are more likely to be non-smokers and non-drinkers, and less likely than their non-transplant counterparts to survive past one year of diagnosis, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. As part of a 20-year review, Henry Ford researchers found cancers of the throat, tonsils and mouth may be more aggressive in transplant recipients as the result of long-term immunosuppressive therapy required to prevent solid organ rejection. Transplant patients in the study who developed skin cancer in the head and neck region were more likely to have multiple lesions, compared to the general public. In all, 2.6% of transplant patients in the study developed some form of head and neck cancer. While the risk for developing head and neck cancer is small, the study serves as an important reminder to all transplant recipients to be vigilant about any changes to their skin, as well as persistent sore throat, ear pain or swallowing issues – all signs of head and neck cancer. "The benefits of organ transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy still outweigh the risk of transplant patients developing head and neck cancer," says study author Robert Deeb, M.D., with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford. "Still, our study highlights that head and neck cancer arising in transplant patients warrants the need for regular screenings and aggressive treatment." The study will be presented Jan. 28 in Miami Beach at [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-01-28T08:19:08-07:00January, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Ann Layvey: outreach underpins academic fulfillment

Source: www.dental.upenn.edu/ Author: staff Ann Layvey was raised to ‘give back,’ so it seems natural that her academic career at Penn Dental Medicine has been underpinned by community service. “My mom always helped me to see the importance of outreach,” says Ann, who, from an early age, was involved in helping her community in New York by serving those in need. During her undergraduate experience, she volunteered at the New York University Hospital, and has consistently supported community service at Penn Dental Medicine, where it is also an integral part of the School’s curriculum. “By dealing with what concerns others, we define our own humanity,” she says. Tapping into that ingrained altruism, Ann teamed with fellow students to help organize a new outreach program for the School that complimented their studies. In spring 2009, she co-coordinated Penn Dental Medicine’s first Oral Cancer Walk, garnering attention to oral cancer and over $16,000 in donations for the Oral Cancer Foundation. “We modeled this walk on the ones done in New York, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., and were thrilled beyond expectations for our first year,” she says. Nearly 300 participated in the walk, and 75 people came out for oral cancer screenings, effectively raising the community service profile of Penn Dental Medicine and building public awareness about how oral cancer screenings save lives. “This was our first year for this walk, and our goal is to keep it going,” she says. In addition to helping the community in Philadelphia, Ann also put her [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-12-26T09:28:17-07:00December, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Actor’s diagnosis puts spotlight on oral cancer

By: Donna Domino, Associate Editor Source: DrBicuspid.com Actor Michael Douglas' recent revelation that he has stage IV oropharyngeal cancer has highlighted the growing incidence of oral cancer, and experts say dentists can help stem the alarming increase of the disease by checking for it during routine examinations. “Tobacco is no longer the only bad guy.” — Brian Hill, executive director, Oral Cancer Foundation The actor's cancer includes a walnut-sized tumor at the base of his tongue, and he will require radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Douglas says his doctors told him he has an 80% survival rate if it hasn't spread to his lymph nodes. While tobacco was the prime cause of oral cancer in the past, recent studies have attributed the steady increase of the disease to the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are approximately 130 versions of HPV but only nine cause cancers, and the HPV16 version causes almost half of the oral cancers in the U.S., said Brian Hill, executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. "Tobacco is no longer the only bad guy," he told DrBicuspid.com. “HPV16 is increasing in incidence as the causative etiology, and if it continues on this trend line, it will replace tobacco as the primary cause of oral cancers." Dentists can play a key role in catching the disease in its early stages if they check for it during examinations, Hill pointed out. "But many dentists think it's such a rare disease that they don't bother to screen for it," he said. [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-03-29T19:08:30-07:00September, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Walk to raise awareness for oral cancer Saturday

Source: www.dailypennsylvanian.com Author: Miriam Nareem Penn Relays won’t be the only on-foot event on campus this weekend. Founded and run by students, the Oral Cancer Awareness Society will be holding their second annual 3.1 mile-long walk on April 24. The walk loops around University City and West Philadelphia. The event has drawn students from Penn, Temple University and other surrounding universities, as well as community members and cancer survivors. Individuals can register to walk or sponsor another participant. All walker registration fees and the majority of sponsorship money goes to the Oral Cancer Foundation. So far approximately $5,000 has been raised. The group will be holding free oral cancer screenings at on Locust Walk with faculty from the school. Additionally, the event will be attended by oral cancer survivors themselves who can share their experiences. Last year, the post-walk festivities featured live entertainment from School of Dental Medicine students. Between classes and extracurriculars, most Penn students do not have time for dental screenings as regularly as they should, Anna Yuan, a Penn Dental student and one of the walk’s organizers wrote in an e-mail. With a disease like oral cancer, regular visits to the dentist are crucial in detection and diagnosis — the same visits most Penn student’s either don’t have the time or resources to make. “When diagnosed early, oral cancer is highly treatable,” Yuan wrote. Missing dental appointments is an even bigger issue for international students who don’t have dental insurance in this country. College freshman Humna Bhojani [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-25T06:16:10-07:00April, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer risks that may surprise you

Source: www.examiner.com Author: staff "I am a non-smoker; I do not need to worry about Oral Cancer... right?" Not exactly... Oral Cancer is a debilitating and frightful disease that affects 34,000 new Americans each year. Approximately one person dies of oral cancer each hour and it is estimated that 8,000 will die this year. Of the 34,000 diagnosed in 2009, less than half will live to see 2014. The mortality rate of Oral Cancer is higher than that of Cervical, Testicular and Malignant Melanoma (Skin Cancer). Although Oral Cancer is not addressed as often as other forms of cancer, it is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Many associate Oral Cancer to tobacco use, which is the main risk factor along with excessive alcohol consumption. However, 25% of new Oral Cancer patients do not possess these risk factors. Because of the aggressive nature of the disease, early diagnosis is crucial. Therefore knowing all the risk factors will enable individuals to become proactive in their oral health. Risk factors of Oral Cancer include: Tobacco: Especially "chewing" tobacco, this is thought to contribute to Oral Cancers in the young (less than forty years of age). Alcohol: Consuming three or more alcohol beverages per day increases your risk for Oral Cancer development. Diabetes: It is thought that those individuals who are diabetic are at an increased risk because of compromised immune systems. Human Papilloma Virus: HPV-16 increases the risk for Oral Cancer (it is the same form of HPV that is responsible [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T07:23:25-07:00August, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|