• 4/20/2005
  • Ann Arbor, MI
  • University of Michigan News Service

The Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project has launched a citywide campaign to lower the oral cancer death rate in Detroit.

“Our best hope for decreasing the rate of oral cancer is to get Detroiters in for a screening,” said project director Dr. Amid Ismail, from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. “If caught early, oral cancer has a 90 percent cure rate.”

The effects of later-stage oral cancer treatments, by contrast, can be devastating. Some patients require full or partial removal of the tongue, teeth, gums or oral tissues.

Detroit has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the nation. According to a recent study, 46 percent of all deaths from oral cancer in Michigan occur in the Detroit area. In African-American men, Detroit reported an oral cancer rate of 31 cases per 100,000 people, which was the highest rate reported among all states.

The Detroit area, with one of the highest incidence and mortality rates of oral cancer in the state, had only 35 percent of its oral cancer cases detected at an early (localized) stage.

Among the risk factors of oral cancer are tobacco use, moderate or heavy alcohol use, a diet low in fruits and vegetables, lack of access to early screening and dental care, and poor oral hygiene. The Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Program seeks to reduce the oral cancer death rate in Detroit by half in the next five years.

The campaign, titled “Get Checked Before It’s Too Late,” includes billboards, radio and newspaper ads, all urging Detroiters to call toll-free (877) 7-CHECKED for a free oral cancer screening.

Michigan men had the sixth highest oral cancer incidence rate of all states in 2000, with oral cancer diagnosed in 17.8 men in every 100,000. Michigan’s African American men had a rate of 26.2 per 100,000, the highest among African American men in all states. Oral cancer is more prevalent in African American men in Detroit than cancer of the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, larynx, skin or bladder.

“Bottom line, we want everyone to know that oral cancer is preventable. It’s treatable, but it must be caught early,” said Ismail said, a professor of cariology, restorative sciences and endodontics and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan.

Screenings provided through the project are painless and free of charge. Appointments can be scheduled by calling toll-free (877) 7-CHECKED.

The Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Program is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health. Additional support is provided by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, and the Delta Dental Fund of Michigan.