Free Oral Cancer Screenings Available in April

While smoking, spending time in the sun without sunblock and human papillomavirus (HPV) are risk factors for oral cancer, 25 percent of people who develop the disease do not have them. That’s why screenings are so important.

You can get checked at no cost at the oral cancer screening events Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute will hold in April with . Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) dentists Michele Pisano-Marsh, DMD, Ammon Baus, DMD, and LVHN dental residents. If caught early, the disease can be treated successfully.

Oral cancer can affect your lips, the front parts of your tongue, and the roof and floor of your mouth. It can also affect your oropharynx – the back part of your tongue, your tonsils and the sides and back of your throat. Your dentist may spot a potential problem during an exam. It’s also wise to be aware of the symptoms, such as:

• Sores on your lip or inside your mouth that bleed easily and don’t heal within two weeks
• Rough spots or crusty areas on your lips, gums or inside of your mouth
• Areas in your mouth that bleed for no reason
• Numbness, pain or tenderness on your face and neck or in your mouth without cause
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking or moving your jaw or tongue
• Unintentional weight loss
• Earache
• Chronic bad breath

About 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year. Men are more than twice as likely to develop oral cancer as women, and most patients are over age 40. However, the disease is beginning to show up in younger people, possibly in association with HPV. You can cut your chances for developing oral cancer by avoiding these lifestyle factors:

• All forms of tobacco. This includes cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff. The younger you are when you start using tobacco and the longer you’ve used it, the greater your risk.
• Heavy alcohol use. Drinking two or more alcoholic drinks a day increases your risk.
• Sun exposure. Extensive exposure to the sun, especially without sunscreen, increases your risk for lip cancer.
• Poor diet. Research has suggested that not eating enough fruits and vegetables can increase the risk for oral and oropharyngeal cancers.
• Chronic mouth irritation. Poorly fitted dentures or other items that irritate the lining of the mouth may increase the risk.

Screening for oral cancer is an easy and painless way to keep tabs on your oral health and to help improve outcomes by identifying cancer at an early stage. Colleagues and the public are invited to attend one of our free oral cancer screening events:

To schedule your free appointment or for more information, call 888-402-LVHN (5846) or:

Register here