The recent International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN report reported on the cancer statistics of South Africa. One-in-five South Africans may be diagnosed with cancer and 1-in-10 may die before the age of 75 due to cancer.
South Africa reported just over 108 000 of new cancer diagnosis in 2020. Mouth and throat cancer make out 1.8% (n=1922) and 0.46% (n=497) of all new cancer diagnosis in 2020.
More than 90% of these cancer develop from the lining of the mouth and throat and is called squamous cell carcinomas. The remaining % include a wide range of cancer types such as salivary gland (spit-gland) cancers, lymphomas and cancers of bone or muscle.
One of the most concerning factors are that nearly half of all new mouth and throat cancers are diagnosed late and hence at an advanced stage. The later a cancer is diagnosed, the poorer the prognosis. Untreated mouth and throat cancers will grow larger and spread to the glands in the neck or even further to lungs, liver or brain. The overall survival of patients with cancer that has spread to glands in the neck is 50% lower and those with spread to other organ further reduce chances of survival by half. Hence, the importance of early cancer recognition and diagnosis.
People at risk are:
- Those that smoke tobacco or using some form of chewing tobacco.
- Those that use alcohol.
- Unsafe sexual practice such as oral sex that place you at risk of HPV infections.
- Patient with certain immune mediated conditions such as Lichen Planus, Discoid Lupus or Sjögrens Syndrome.
What are the signs and symptoms that patients should be on the lookout for?
- White patches of the mouth that does not wipe off or resolve in 2 weeks.
- White patches with areas of red inside it.
- Red patches or plaques.
- Ulcers that does not heal in 2 weeks.
- Unexplained loosening of teeth.
- Unexplained bleeding of your gums despite good oral hygiene.
- Numbness of the tongue or lip associated with an ulcer.
- Firm, often rapidly enlarging glands in the neck.
- Unplanned weight loss.
Early recognition from self examination often leads to early diagnosis and more effective treatment. Patients are always encouraged to stop smoking and using alcohol , particularly after having been diagnosed and treated from mouth and throat cancer. This is because those that continue to smoke and drink alcohol have a unacceptably high risk of developing a new cancer of the upper airways. We further encourage those that are eligible for the HPV vaccine to get vaccinated.
Next time you brush your teeth, have a good look around your mouth. When you visit you dentist or medical doctors, ask them to have good look at your mouth and throat. Early diagnosis saves lives!
