To Detect Oral Cancer Early, See Your Dentist

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

April 23, 2019

Category: Oral Health

Tags: oral cancer

This month marks the 20th annual observance of Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, over 50,000 people in the US were diagnosed with oral cancer, and over 10,000 people died from the disease. The 5-year survival rate for oral cancer is only around 57%, making it more deadly than many other types of cancer. But if oral cancer is caught and treated early, the 5-year survival rate jumps to over 80%. This is one reason why regular dental checkups are so important—we can be your best ally in detecting oral cancer in its early stages.

Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because it often develops without pain or obvious symptoms. Early detection greatly improves the chances of successful treatment, but signs of the disease frequently go unnoticed until the cancer is advanced. Fortunately, dentists and dental hygienists are trained to recognize signs of oral cancer in the early stages, when it is most treatable. Oral cancer can appear on any surface of the mouth and throat, with the tongue being the most common site, particularly along the sides, followed by the floor of the mouth. As part of a regular dental exam, we examine these surfaces for even subtle signs of the disease.

Screenings performed at the dental office are the best way to detect oral cancer, but between dental visits it's a good idea to check your own mouth for any of the following: white or red patches, lumps, hard spots, spots that bleed easily or sores that don't heal. Let us know if any of these symptoms don't go away on their own within two or three weeks.

Using tobacco in any form is a major risk factor for oral cancer, especially in combination with alcohol consumption. Although the majority of people diagnosed with oral cancer are over age 55, the fastest growing segment of new diagnoses are among young people due to the rise in cases of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) in young adults.

A routine dental visit can do much more than preventing and treating tooth decay and gum disease—it might even save your life! If you have questions about oral cancer or are concerned about possible symptoms, call us as soon as possible to schedule an appointment for a consultation.

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Reduce Your Oral Cancer Risk with Better Diet and Lifestyle Choices

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

November 11, 2016

Category: Oral Health

Tags: oral cancer

ReduceYourOralCancerRiskwithBetterDietandLifestyleChoices

You probably know practicing healthy dietary and lifestyle habits can help prevent tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. But good habits could also lower your risk for a more dangerous type of disease — oral cancer.

There are several risk factors for oral cancer, including those you can't do much about like your genetic makeup or unknown elements in the environment. But there are factors you can influence with your actions.

You're probably familiar with the links between tobacco use (both smoked and smokeless) and oral cancer. But excessive alcohol use could also increase your risk, as can risky sexual behavior that could expose you to human papilloma virus (HPV) 16.

And what you eat — or don't eat — could also influence your cancer risk. Research over the last half century has uncovered a link between diet and cancer. Cancer development seems to begin with damage to DNA, the genetic material that “tells” each of our cells what it is and what it does in the body. Substances called carcinogens found in the environment — including the foods we eat — can damage our DNA and open the door for cancer to development.

But some foods also contain elements that protect our DNA from carcinogenic damage. Some of these are known as antioxidants, which protect cells from unstable molecules called free radicals. You'll find antioxidants, as well as other protective substances like fiber, vitamins and lycopene in plant-based foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.

Eating a plant-based diet also means you'll eat fewer foods that contribute to the rise of free radicals like saturated fat, animal protein and nitrates (a chemical that occurs in some food processing). A healthy diet, along with quitting tobacco use and moderating alcohol consumption, will help not only preventing decay or gum disease, it will also drastically lower your risk for oral cancer.

If you would like more information on oral cancer prevention, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Diet and Prevention of Oral Cancer.”

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Five Things You Should Know About Oral Cancer

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

April 03, 2015

Category: Oral Health

Tags: oral cancer

Like a shadowy figure hovering at the edge of the movie frame, cancer may be scariest when you can't see it clearly. That's why, instead of looking away, many people have chosen to take a proactive attitude toward the disease. They're learning about the benefits of prevention, early detection and treatment — and so can you. How much do you know about oral cancer? Here are five fast facts.

Oral cancer isn't just an older person's disease.

In the past, people over 40 years of age were the main population group in which oral cancer was found. But in recent years, a growing number of young people have also been diagnosed with the disease. The sexually transmitted Human Papilloma Virus (HPV16) is thought to be responsible for the increase in oral cancer among younger people.

Oral cancer can de deadly.

While it accounts for just 2-3% of all cancers, its survival rate is far lower than lots of cancers you've heard more about. Why? Because its symptoms can be hard to tell from more benign mouth sores, and isn't caught in the early stage often enough. When discovered in its later stages, the 5-year survival rate for this disease is just 58%.

There are several risk factors for oral cancer.

Moderate to heavy drinkers and users of tobacco products — whether smoked or smokeless — are at far greater risk than non-users. Chronic exposure to the sun, besides leading to skin cancer, is also clearly associated with cancers of the lip. And, because of HPV, the same risk factors for other sexually transmitted diseases apply to oral cancer as well. Genetic predisposition also plays a role, as it does in many other diseases.

Lifestyle choices can decrease the odds of getting oral cancer.

Obviously, giving up tobacco, moderating alcohol consumption and avoiding risky sexual behavior will mitigate these risk factors. But you can also lessen your chances of getting the disease by eating a healthy diet. Studies have shown that a high intake of fruits and vegetables is protective against oral cancer — and other cancers as well.

Early detection boosts the survival rate for oral cancer above 80%.

Yet the earliest symptoms of oral cancer are hard for many people to distinguish from common maladies like cold sores. What's the best way to detect it? Do something you should be doing anyway — get regular dental checkups! We're trained to find the signs of a potential problem via a quick, painless screening that can be done at your routine checkup. We can also schedule biopsies or other diagnostic tests if they're needed.

If you have concerns about oral cancer, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Oral Cancer” and “Diet and Prevention of Oral Cancer.”

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Early Detection is Critical to Surviving Oral Cancer

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

September 02, 2014

Category: Oral Health

Tags: oral cancer

EarlyDetectionisCriticaltoSurvivingOralCancer

While oral cancer makes up only a small portion of annual cancer cases, they are nonetheless a critical situation for those patients who develop them. Because cancer lesions in the mouth are easily mistaken for other kinds of sores or overlooked as they develop, they're often not detected until the later stages of the disease. The lack of early detection is a major factor in a dismal overall survival rate for oral cancer of 58%, five years after treatment. On the other hand, oral cancer diagnosed in earlier stages of development boast a much improved survival rate — up to 80% after five years.

The most important factor for early detection is your own observations while performing oral hygiene. A lesion can occur anywhere in the oral cavity (the mouth) or the pharynx (back of the mouth and throat). Of particular concern are abnormalities that appear on the lips and on or around the tongue. These abnormalities may first look like cold or canker sores, ulcers or white patches. If they don't begin to diminish in a few days, then you should certainly contact our office for an oral cancer exam (this exam is also part of your routine office visit).

While there are a number of diagnostic screening tests, the best method for achieving an accurate diagnosis is a biopsy. We would remove a small sample of the abnormal tissue (if the area is large enough to begin with) and have it analyzed microscopically. If the abnormality is small, the complete abnormality would be removed so that if it was determined to be benign or in a pre-cancerous stage, we would have already treated your condition by removing the abnormal tissue. If, however, the sample returns positive for cancer and we were unable to remove it totally during the biopsy, then a course of treatment must be developed utilizing other specialists in dental and medical oncology.

You should also be aware that there are actions you can take to reduce your risk of developing oral cancer in the first place: protect yourself from too much sun exposure; moderate your intake of alcoholic beverages; refrain from any tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) or risky sexual activity; and eat a plant-based, whole food diet. These actions coupled with vigilance for early detection can make a difference in your oral health — it may even save your life.

If you would like more information on oral cancer, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Oral Cancer.”

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Overcome Oral Cancer With Screenings and Lifestyle Changes

By Drs Lawitts and Yeates

August 20, 2014

Category: Oral Health

Tags: oral health oral cancer

OvercomeOralCancerWithScreeningsandLifestyleChanges

Baseball legend Babe Ruth, President Ulysses S. Grant and George Harrison of the Beatles — these three notable people from different backgrounds and historical eras have a sad commonality — they all died from oral cancer. They are a reminder that regardless of one’s wealth or fame, no one is immune from oral cancer and its deadly effects.

Like other cancers, oral cancer is characterized by abnormal cell growth capable of spreading into nearby tissue or other parts of the body. Although oral cancer accounts for less than 3% of all occurring cancers, it’s among the most deadly: only 58% of oral cancer patients survive five years after treatment. This is mostly due to the difficulty of detecting oral cancer in its early stages; in fact, 30% of oral cancers have already spread (metastasized) when they’re finally diagnosed.

Early detection through careful monitoring is the best strategy for defeating oral cancer. If you have a predisposing factor like a family history of oral cancer, then regular screenings during dental checkups are a must. During an exam we may be able to detect abnormalities (like unusual white spots on the gums or jaws) that may signal a cancer in a pre-cancerous or early stage. You also should be on the lookout for a persistent sore throat or hoarseness, lingering mouth pain, a painless lump in the mouth or on the neck, or ear pain on only one side.

There are also conditions or behaviors that may increase your risk for oral cancer, like using tobacco (both smoke and smokeless) or consuming alcohol. If you use tobacco you should consider quitting it altogether; you should consider cutting back on alcohol consumption if you’re a moderate to heavy drinker. You should also avoid sexual behaviors that increase your chances of viral infection — research has found a link between oral cancer and the viral infection caused by the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV 16).

Improving your nutrition can also reduce your cancer risk. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables supplies the body with cancer-fighting nutrients, including antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by carcinogens. Studies have shown this kind of diet consistently lowers the risk of oral and throat cancer, as well as cancers of the esophagus, breast, prostate, lung and colon.

If you would like more information on oral cancer, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Oral Cancer.”

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	Dr. Karen Lawitts	Dr. Nancy Yeates
	Dr. Lawitts was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. She received her Bachelor of Science and D.D.S degree from Northwestern University in Chicago.	Dr. Nancy Yeates graduated from Canisius College with a B.A. in Biology. She then attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry.

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Posts for tag: oral cancer

To Detect Oral Cancer Early, See Your Dentist

Reduce Your Oral Cancer Risk with Better Diet and Lifestyle Choices

Five Things You Should Know About Oral Cancer

Early Detection is Critical to Surviving Oral Cancer

Overcome Oral Cancer With Screenings and Lifestyle Changes

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