8 people die from mouth cancer every day in UK, figures show

8 people die from mouth cancer in the UK every day, according to research from the Oral Health Foundation.

Dentists want more people to check for signs of mouth cancer, after figures showed a rise in the number of people getting the disease in recent years.

The research also states cases have jumped by over one-third (34%) in the last decade, and have more than doubled (103%) in the last 20 years.

More than two-in-three mouth cancers in the UK are diagnosed in men and, alarmingly, more than half of all mouth cancers are diagnosed in stage 4, when the cancer is at its most advanced.

'More die from mouth cancer than cervical and testicular cancer combined'

As part of November's Mouth Cancer Action Week, health experts across the UK want to raise awareness about the condition.

Experts say mouth cancer is heavily linked to smoking and consuming alcohol over the recommended limit, which can increase risk of diagnosis by over 30-times.

Some dentists reckon missed check-ups during the COVID pandemic, and the cost of living crisis dissuading people from paying for private screenings, could be contributing to increasing rates too.

MyDentist dental hygienist, Bobby Keeling, said you can always check for signs yourself and consult your GP if you're concerned:

'You can have a good look yourself. Nobody knows your mouth better than you do. Have a good check, if you see anything in your mouth that's looking a bit strange - maybe an ulcer that hasn't healed in three weeks or more, then it's time to speak to a professional.'

'Oral cancer itself is now coming close to cervical cancer in terms of risking people's lives. If it's become more of a thing over COVID due to people not being screened routinely then we need to start bringing people in and having those conversations.'

To learn more about mouth cancer this Mouth Cancer Action week, and find out how to spot the signs of mouth cancer for yourself, visit https://www.dentalhealth.org/spotthesigns

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