THE UK’s leading mouth cancer campaigners announce the first ever Mouth Cancer Action Month today after recent figures showed record numbers diagnosed with the disease.

The British Dental Health Foundation will run its first-ever month-long campaign for the duration of November after previous week-long campaigns.

The charity now calls on dentists, pharmacists and all dental care professionals to lend their support to a campaign advising the public ‘If In Doubt, Get Checked Out’.
The tagline will urge the public to get to self-examine for signs of mouth cancer and visit their dentist for oral screenings - early detection of this killer disease improves survival chances from just 50% to more than 90%.

At the heart of the campaign lies the inspirational story of Lia Mills, the face of the MCAM 2009 poster campaign.

Novelist Lia, 52, was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2006 after first ignoring her lump, then facing a struggle to convince her dentist there was more to her ulcer than lichen planus. Her speech at the 2008 Mouth Cancer Action Week launch at the House of Commons had a deep impact on all present.

Lia said: “Doesn’t everyone know, by now, that if you have a lump or a sore that doesn’t heal within a few weeks, you should check it out? But I didn’t take my lump seriously because it was in my mouth. I’d never heard of oral cancer.

“I had put up with this for a while before I went to the dentist. He recommended a gel commonly used for mouth ulcers. The sore area spread and a second dentist concluded that I had erosive lichen planus. He said he was glad that I’m not the kind of person who runs to my GP at the first suggestion from the internet.

“However the sore area in my cheek was getting worse instead of better, I did go to my GP. By then I had a swollen gland in my neck as well. By the time I got to a maxillo-facial clinic I needed radical surgery to my face and neck, followed by radiotherapy. “The chances of survival improve dramatically with early intervention.”

The Foundation calls on each dentist to make sure they screen every patient carefully and make sure they are the dentist who will save a life.

Recent figures showed 5,325 cases of mouth cancer in 2006, an 8% year-on-year rise and a 41% rise in just 10 years.

Latest stats show 1,851 deaths in 2007, a 13% increase in the past decade - with one mouth cancer death every five hours in the UK.

These figures are stark proof of the importance of taking this threat seriously and committing to Mouth Cancer Action Month.

The Foundation urges all healthcare professionals to get involved in promoting awareness. Oral screenings are just one important tool to help early detection.

Prevention is also key and public awareness of main risk factors tobacco and alcohol - responsible for 75% of mouth cancers - must be raised. The growing threat of mouth cancers caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), contracted through oral sex, cannot be ignored.

Those at risk are a wider group than ever. More and more cases display none of the traditional risk factors, while a growing proportion of women and a younger age-group than ever before are now being diagnosed.

The Blue Ribbon Badge Appeal will continue to help raise awareness during this year’s MCAM. The Blue Ribbon enamel pin badge is the sign of the campaign and has helped raise funds and the profile of the campaign.

Free boxes of blue campaign ribbon badges are available to all surgeries, practices, health centres, pharmacies, hospitals, schools and businesses to help raise funds through donation and promote discussion of the disease.

Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter said: “It is vital that we gain your support as recent shocking figures show mouth cancer is on the increase. This proves an urgent need to ensure that each and every dental patient is screened for mouth cancer and informed of the risks.

“People must understand the threat posed by tobacco and alcohol and HPV and be advised on the best possible lifestyle choices to stay healthy.

“This risk awareness is then augmented by oral screening and self-examination for warning signs such as ulcers which do not heal, red or white patches or other unusual changes in the mouth. This kind of early detection will save lives.

“Don’t be the dentist who leaves a patient at risk of mouth cancer - make sure your practice is on message to spread awareness and that oral screenings are an effective, everyday priority.”

The Foundation has made it easier than ever to get involved through the extended opportunity afforded by the month-long campaign, advised and supported by the Department of Health, Cancer Research UK.

Source
British Dental Health Foundation

New best practice guidance published to improve quality and safety of chemotherapy. Experts have recommended that all hospitals with an A&E department should provide acute oncology services to ensure the correct treatment of emergency cancer patients and those who suffer severe side effects from chemotherapy, Health Minister Ann Keen announced recently.

The recommendation forms part of new best practice to improve the quality and safety of chemotherapy published by the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group (NCAG).

The report titled - Chemotherapy Services in England: Ensuring quality and safety sets out:

- Recommendations that all hospitals with emergency departments should establish an acute oncology service that can quickly identify the symptoms and then treat appropriately patients who develop severe side effects from chemotherapy or undiagnosed cancer patients who present as emergencies
- Further recommendations on issues around chemotherapy such as decision to treat, patient consent, prescribing and dispensing, and information for patients and carers
- A new framework for commissioning, delivering and monitoring chemotherapy services
- The importance of information and communication when treating chemotherapy patients

Health Minister Ann Keen said:

“I welcome the report published by the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group which makes recommendations on improving the quality and safety of chemotherapy services.

“The report’s main recommendation is that all hospitals with emergency departments should establish an acute oncology service which will look after patients who develop severe side affects after chemotherapy and patients who present as emergencies with previously undiagnosed cancer.

“All cancer treatment in Britain has improved vastly in recent years due to the excellent progress the NHS has made in improving cancer outcomes and services for patients.

“The challenge now is to keep up this momentum and we will now work with the NHS to implement the recommendations of this report.”

National Cancer Director Mike Richards said:

“The use of chemotherapy has expanded markedly in recent years and while this has brought huge benefits to the majority of patients serious concerns have been identified in the quality and safety of treatments.

“This new guidance will help all hospitals improve the quality and safety of their treatment and I urgently ask them to adopt these guidelines.

“Setting up acute oncology services is an innovative idea. We have done an impact assessment which has found the implementation cost will be neutral overall because the improved quality of treatment will reduce the number of emergency bed days.”

Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Harpal Kumar said:

“It’s vitally important that A&E departments are able to offer a specialist cancer service. Many people with undiagnosed cancer either don’t recognise or choose to ignore signs and symptoms of the disease for so long that they eventually end up being admitted to hospital in an emergency.

“Cancer Research UK and the Department of Health have established the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI) to encourage people to be aware of symptoms and visit their family doctor with concerns early enough. But we need to have in place adequate systems for people who leave it too late, so we welcome this new initiative.”

Source
Department of Health, UK

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Source:
Jill Dombrauckas, Ph.D.

GenWay Biotech