NOVEMBER IS MOUTH CANCER ACTION MONTH
As with all cancers, the sooner you spot mouth cancer, the better chance you have of beating it. Unfortunately many mouth cancers are not spotted early enough. So what are the symptoms to look out for? By performing a simple regular one-minute check at home, you could spot the symptoms early on.
All parts of the mouth, including the tongue, lips and cheeks can be affected by mouth cancer. You should look out for ulcers that do not heal as they normally would, or you may notice an unusual white or red patch in your mouth which wasn't there before. You can also look out for any unusual lumps in the mouth or jaw area, or even inn the neck.
Visit your doctor or dentist if you are not sure. mouth cancers can be detected by your dentist at your regular routine examination. dentists are trained to perform a mouth cancer check as part of your routine examination. If they find something unusual, they will refer you to the hospital for further tests. The consultant may perform a biopsy of the affected cells for further investigation.
So this month, follow the advice of the Oral Health Foundation: If in doubt, get checked out!