Healthcare professionals in Peterborough are urging people to get their mouths checked
It's after a rise in cancer cases across the country
Last updated 17th Nov 2024
Healthcare professionals in Peterborough say it's vital to regularly check for signs of mouth cancer.
The Oral Health Foundation has revealed that the number of mouth cancer cases in the UK has reached a record-breaking high.
The new report shows 10,102 new cases of mouth cancer are being diagnosed in the UK annually.
The number of cases has increased 39% in the past decade.
Late diagnosis is a problem
Over half of the cases are diagnosed at stages III and IV, when the cancer is at its most advanced.
Clive Moss, Maxillofacial consultant at Peterborough City Hospital, said:
"I think people don't want to admit that something might be wrong and people aren't used to looking in their mouths."
"It's quite a difficult place to look in so people just ignore it."
"One of the key things is regular dental attendance. The best person to look into your mouth is a dentist."
"We use our mouths for speech and eating. We have to think about function."
"The smaller and earlier we can catch it, the less harmful our treatment is and the better the function."
"Late diagnosis is a problem."
"Stage one disease, the outlook is a 91% cure rate. If it gets bigger and it spreads to your neck, then the outlook becomes a 40% cure rate."
"So, early diagnosis is key to a good outcome but also the best quality of life."
Early diagnosis is key
More than one-in-three of the diagnoses occur on the tongue, while nearly one-in-four are found in the tonsils.
Other common areas affected include the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, and the roof and floor of the mouth.
91% of people don’t check their mouth regularly for signs of cancer and nearly half have never checked in their life.
As well as this, 23% of people have no idea that cancer can develop in the mouth.
The charity’s report shows 3,337 people in the UK lost their life to mouth cancer last year.