affects the mouth and associated
structures, including the lips, oral cavity, salivary glands, tonsils, throat,
tongue, and cheeks.
Hence, there is an
urgent need to generate awareness about the disease. Some of the ways this
could be achieved are highlighted below:
Oral cancers are a subset of head and neck cancers which has an
incidence of 20 per 100,000 people in India.
India and Sri Lanka
have the highest rates of oral cancer worldwide. Oral cancers can usually be detected just by clinical examination by
a dentist. Despite this,
60-80 percent of oral cancers in India are
diagnosed at a late stage, which results in high mortality and morbidity.
Oral cancers detected at an early stage can be successfully treated, with high cure rates and a good prognosis. However, detection at an
advanced stage requires aggressive treatment, involving
chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, which often have a poor outcome.
Oral Cancer: Facts & Figures
- 11th most common cancer worldwide
- 640,000 cases are diagnosed every year worldwide
- 460,000 people will die of oral cancer each year
worldwide by 2030
- Oral cancer kills one person, every hour, every
day, all year round
- 40 percent of newly diagnosed oral cancer patients
will die within 5 years
- Incidence of oral cancer has increased by one-third
over the past decade
- Around
60,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer over the next decade
- 85 percent of all head and neck cancers worldwide
are due to oral cancer
- Oral cancer is more prevalent above the age of 40
years
- 25 percent of oral cancer cases are not associated
with any risk factors
- Oral cancer risk in men is double that of women
Oral Cancer: Warning Signs
- A mouth ulcer that refuses to heal within three
weeks
- Red or
white patches inside the mouth or on the lips
- Unusual
lumps, swellings, or thickened tissues in the mouth or neck
- Pain
and tenderness inside the mouth
- Numbness
in lower lip and chin
- Difficulty
swallowing, chewing or speaking
- Loose
teeth and bleeding in the mouth
Oral Cancer
Prevention: Indian Initiatives
- National
Oral Health Program: The National Oral Health Program was
drafted by the Indian Dental Association (IDA), which highlights the
importance of oral health for overall health, wellbeing and quality of
life. The program aims to ensure 'Optimal Oral Health for All by 2020'
- National
Oral Cancer Registry: The National Oral Cancer Registry is an
initiative of IDA that collects data on oral cancer and precancerous
conditions. It accesses data from population-based and hospital-based
cancer registries
- Oral
Cancer Foundation: The Oral Cancer Foundation is a "Call to
Action" Program led by dental professionals, which aims to improve oral
health and reduce the burden of oral cancer in India
- Tobacco
Intervention Initiative: This is a "Call to Action" Program that is
aimed at eradicating tobacco addiction for creating a 'Tobacco Free India'
and promoting oral health for all Indians
The Way Forward
It will be possible
to forge a way forward by properly addressing the following key areas:
- Education: Access
to accurate information and knowledge can empower the people to make
informed choices about health issues, including oral cancer
- Prevention: Preventive
and risk reduction strategies are important as these can effectively
reduce the number of oral cancer cases
- Equity &
Access: Access to oral health facilities should be available to all,
irrespective of social standing, so that oral cancer can be detected early
and treated promptly
- Government
Action: Proactive action by the government in the area of health
planning and execution could reduce the burden of oral cancer to create a
healthy nation
- Social
Support: Providing social support is an important aspect of the
management of cancer patients. This involves not only physical, but also
emotional and mental support
- Economics: Financial
investment in cancer prevention and control can be more cost-effective
than cancer treatment and will ensure economic gains by increased
productivity of a healthy workforce
- Training:
Increased numbers of adequately trained healthcare professionals will help
to reduce the skills gap that currently exists and is a major hindrance
towards effective cancer control
This
April, let us all get together to raise awareness about oral cancer across the
globe to ensure 'Optimal Oral Health for All
by 2020'.
References : - Coelho KR. Challenges of Oral Cancer Burden in India. J Cancer Epidemiol. 2012; 2012: 701932 - (http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/701932)
- Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). Three-Year Report of Population Based Cancer Registries 2012-2014. Bengaluru, India: National Center for Disease Informatics and Research - National Cancer Registry Program, 2016. - (http://ncdirindia.org/NCRP/ALL_NCRP_REPORTS/PBCR_REPORT_2012_2014/ALL_CONTENT/PDF_Printed_Version/Preliminary_Pages_Printed.pdf)
- Oral Cancer Awareness Month - American Dental Association - (https://www.ada.org/en)
- Mouth Cancer Action Month - Oral Health Foundation, UK - (https://www.dentalhealth.org/pages/category/mouth-cancer-action-month)
- Global Data on Incidence of Oral Cancer - World Health Organization - (https://www.who.int/oral_health/publications/oral_cancer_brochure.pdf?ua=1)
- Mouth Cancer - Mouth Cancer Foundation, UK - (https://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/get-info/mouth-cancer)
- National Oral Cancer Registry - Indian Dental Association - (http://nocr.org.in/#/home)
- Oral Cancer Foundation - Indian Dental Association - (http://ocf.org.in/#/home)
- Tobacco Intervention Initiative - Indian Dental Association - (http://tii.org.in/#/home)
Source: Medindia
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