What You Need to Know About Oral Cancer Prevention in Cleburne

We can help with oral cancer prevention in Cleburne.  If you are unfamiliar with this disease, there are many facts that you should know.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation

• 45,750 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer every year.
• It kills up to one person, per hour, every day of the year.
• The risk of death from oral cancer is higher than if you were diagnosed with cervical cancer or laryngeal cancer.
• The age of those being diagnosed is decreasing, making this no longer an “older people” disease. 
• The HPV virus is a leading cause of this type of cancer, so if you have been diagnosed with it, oral cancer screenings become critical.

When it comes to oral cancer prevention in Cleburne, there are some common misconceptions.  Many people believe that they can only get this cancer if they are a regular smoker.  If that were the case, it would be much easier to prevent the disease. However, it is not, and there is a variety of risk factors that can contribute to whether or not you get cancer.  The two biggest risk factors are using chewing tobacco or smokeless tobacco products and having the HPV 16 virus.  The first is something that you can eliminate by choosing not to use tobacco products of any kind.  This is the best possibility for your overall health.  It will not only decrease your risk of getting oral cancer but also increase your overall health.  As for the HPV virus, it is important to speak with your MD to find out if you have it and what you can do to prevent getting it.  There are vaccines and prevention techniques that they can give you information on, since this is not our area of expertise.

The way that we can help with oral cancer prevention in Cleburne is to help you to detect the disease at an early stage. Perhaps the most frightening statistic related to oral cancer is that only 57 percent of those diagnosed are alive five years later. The high death rate is incredibly alarming, and it is often because cancer goes undetected for so long that by the time treatment begins, it has already spread to other areas of the body.  In fact, that is how most people catch it.  Once cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or the neck, it becomes more obvious and alerts people that they need to see a physician. Since it is impossible to have a clear view of what is happening inside of the mouth, most people are unaware that they have cancer developing.  This is where we can help you.  We can conduct an oral cancer screening when you come in for your annual or bi-annual teeth cleanings.  We will look for any obvious signs like rough patches, red and white bumps, lumps, or anything that would indicate abnormal tissue or cell growth.  If we see anything concerning, we may recommend that the area be biopsied to test for cancerous cells and that you visit an oncologist.  This early detection will give you the best chance of beating the disease.