Mouth or Throat Cancer

March 27, 2013

Close to 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or throat cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 42,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years.

The symptoms of mouth or throat cancer can include:

• sores that bleed easily or do not heal
• a thick or hard spot or lump
• a roughened or crusted area
• numbness, pain or tenderness
• a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite down

Make sure to tell your dentist about any problems you have when chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your tongue or jaw.  And see if they offer the Vizilte oral cancer screening test for early detection of cancers that do not appear to the naked eye.