Last year, around 10,000 people in the UK were given the life-changing news that they have mouth cancer. The more we know about mouth cancer, the better chance we have of beating it. This means knowing how to spot mouth cancer early and knowing where to go when we see something out of the ordinary. The majority of deaths from mouth cancer occur because of late detection, due to lack of public awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risks. Self-checks for mouth cancer take less than a minute and could save your life, or someone you know.
Tobacco use is considered to be the main cause with two in three cases being linked to smoking. Over consumption of alcohol accounts for just under 30% all mouth cancer cases and done alongside smoking trebles the risk. NHS Forth Valley is working together with various partners to create environments that support you to address the lifestyle and risk factors for mouth cancer such as smoking cessation support, alcohol interventions and oral health and healthy eating initiatives.
A self-check for mouth cancer takes 45 seconds and can save your life.
November marks Mouth Cancer Action Month, and as part of this, we are recognising Blue Wednesday this coming Wednesday 13 November 2024. For Blue Wednesday, the Oral Health Foundation want to encourage as many people as possible to check their mouth for the early warning signs of mouth cancer because early diagnosis is vital for beating the disease. To get involved and show your support for this campaign, you could spread awareness on social media by:
- Utilising the campaign resources available to download
- #BakeSomethingBlue and share on social media.
- Dress up in blue and post a photo with the hashtags #BlueWednesday and #BlueLipSelfie.
- Include simple mouth cancer awareness messages in your posts.
For further information about the Blue Wednesday campaign, please visit the Oral Health Foundation website. If you would like any further information on the various Oral Health Programmes delivered in NHS FV or would like to order oral health packs/resources, please contact NHS Forth Valley by email: fv.smile4life@nhs.scot.
Leave a Reply