Oral Cancer Awareness

More than 40,000 Americans every year are diagnosed with oral cancer, with men and women over the age of 50 most at risk (with men twice as likely as women to get the disease).

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, a good time for people to get a better understanding of the disease, its risk factors and common symptoms, and how to screen for it.

Oral cancer refers to cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and pharynx (throat). If not diagnosed and treated early, it can be life threatening and disfiguring.

The most common symptoms of oral cancer include:

  • Swellings/thickenings, lumps or bumps, rough spots/crusts/or eroded areas on the lips, gums or other areas inside the mouth
  • White, red or speckled patches in the mouth
  • Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
  • Unexplained numbness, loss of feeling, or pain/tenderness in any area of the face, mouth, or neck
  • Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and do not heal within two weeks
  • A soreness or feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
  • Hoarseness, chronic sore throat or change in voice
  • Ear pain
  • A change in the way teeth or dentures fit together
  • Dramatic weight loss

We will review oral cancer causation next week.

JD Miller

About JD Miller

John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions. Phone: (781) 378-2164 Email: [email protected] Website: https://homecarepartnersma.com
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