The Oral Cancer Foundation Launches April Oral Cancer Awareness Month

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. 2015 marks the 16th year that The Oral Cancer Foundation has lead the effort to raise awareness of this disease and the need for an annual screening.

OCF has learned that although we accomplish a great deal as an organization, we can do so much more through the formation of strategic relationships with those who share our values and goals. OCF is grateful to the thousands of private dental offices that make time on multiple days during the month of April to offer free screenings to members of the public in their local communities across the nation. Besides the screening itself, these offices provide valuable information to the public related to risk factors and early signs and symptoms. An informed public can engage in self-discovery, which has generated early stage finds in so many other cancers.

In addition to the 1,000's of private dental offices who will join with OCF this April, a coalition of professional organizations, private sectors companies, and educational institutions have chosen to partner with us. The professional organizations include; The American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM), The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA), The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), The American Dental Association (ADA), The American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP), and The Canadian Dental Hygiene Association (CDHA).  Our private sector corporate partners include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Henry Schein Dental, LED/VELscope, OralID and Identafi. The university partners this year are NYU, Penn Dental Medicine, and Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

Jamie O'Day, OCF Director of Operations, expressed, "We are very proud that we have been able to assemble a powerful coalition of organizations, all with a vested interest in the oral cancer cause. OCF is thrilled to be in the company of such prestigious organizations and institutions. Coupled with thousands of private dental practitioners, this creates a formidable force to alter the late discovery paradigm that has plagued this disease for too many years." 

OCF Co-Founder Ingrid Hill, states that "There are steps as a nation that WE MUST take if we are to bring this disease down from its high ranking as a killer.

• Since the HPV16 virus has become the fastest growing cause of oropharyngeal (back of the mouth) cancers, we must engage in a more robust effort to vaccinate our youth against this virus and allow our children and grandchildren to live in a country that has reached herd immunity against HPV related cancers, all of which are killers.
• Create a national effort, ideally lead by dental professionals who see more than 60% of Americans at least once a year, to screen everyone opportunistically that currently visit their practices, as the vaccine only works in pre-sexual youth. Catching cancers in the current adult generation of Americans at early stages decreases treatment related morbidity, and improves long-term outcomes.
• Create enough public awareness and knowledge that some SELF DISCOVERY of early signs and symptoms can occur, and self-referral for evaluation to medical or dental professionals takes place. Combined with professional screening, this will also yield more early stage discovery of both pre-cancers and early stage disease."

Primary risk factors for developing an oral or oropharyngeal cancer

• Tobacco use in all its forms
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• A persistent HPV16 (human papilloma virus #16) oral infection

Oral cancer signs and symptoms identifiable in a conventional visual and tactile screening

• An ulcer or sore that does not heal within 2-3 weeks
• A discoloration on the soft tissues of the mouth that persists. It may be white, red, or even blackish in color
• A swelling or lump in the mouth that persists. This also applies to a tonsil that is swollen but painless
• Any abnormality that bleeds easily when touched. (friable)
• A lump, or hard spot in the tissue. (induration)
• Tissue raised above that surrounding it, a growth. (exophytic)
• A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, still does not heal.
• A numb feeling in the mouth or lips
• Persistent sore throat, hoarse voice, or cough
• A painless fixated lump felt on the outside of the neck, which has been there for at least two weeks
• Difficult or painful swallowing, or a painless sensation that when swallowing things are becoming stuck in your throat
• An ear ache on one side (unilateral) which persists for a protracted period of time

OCF releases its 2015 projections for oral and oropharyngeal cancers derived from the government SEER database.

45,750 Americans will be newly diagnosed with an oral or oropharyngeal cancer, and there will be approximately 8,650 associated deaths. That is a one-year jump of about 5%. Brian Hill, Executive Director and Co-Founder of OCF stated, "Big numbers are hard to digest, even abstract to individuals, and people are not sure how important this data is. In simpler terms, it means 125 Americans will be newly diagnosed every day, and one American will die from this disease every hour of the day 24/7/365.  Since the two drivers of these numbers are a preventable lifestyle choice, (tobacco use), and a virus (HPV16) for which we have a readily available vaccine, the use of which would protect our next generation, is disheartening. Worse, with the virus being the more aggressive driver of these statistics, this number is without doubt, going to increase every year during our generation, since there is no vaccine for adults already exposed. When compared to other first world countries, the U.S. is far behind in vaccination and reaching herd immunity in our young people. Speaking as someone who almost lost his life to this disease from an HPV etiology, and who talks with patients and families in crisis with routine, my personal opinion is that we as Americans are doing a poor job of controlling tobacco use, contrary to scientific evidence of its harm. Given the huge financial component to the tobacco paradigm in the U.S. and the lack of any political will to change it, I do not see this undergoing any significant change in the future. That we have no national vaccine policy to protect our youth/the next generation with something in our power to change, policies accomplished with huge success in other countries around the world, I find unconscionable."

It's not too late to join with the other thousands of dental offices to get involved in bringing down these numbers. Click the following link to learn more about oral cancer awareness month, and how to create your own Free Oral Cancer Screening Event if you are a professional. http://www.oralcancer.org/events/oral-cancer-awareness-month.php

Members of the public can view our online calendar of events to find a screening event near them at - http://www.oralcancer-screening.org/events/?d=2015-04-01&b=1.

Be aware. Get Screened. BE PART OF THE CHANGE.

About the Oral Cancer Foundation
The Oral Cancer Foundation, founded by oral cancer survivor Brian R. Hill, is an IRS registered non-profit 501(c)(3) public service charity that provides information, patient support, sponsorship of research, and advocacy related to this disease. Oral cancer is the largest group of those cancers that fall into the head and neck cancer category. Common names for it include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, head and neck cancer, and throat cancer. OCF maintains a web site at http://www.oralcancer.org, which receives millions of hits per month. Supporting the foundation's goals is a scientific advisory board composed of leading cancer authorities from varied medical and dental specialties, and from prominent educational, treatment, and research institutions in the United States.

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SOURCE The Oral Cancer Foundation