FOCF Participates through an Oral Cancer Screening
FOCF was pleased to participate in a free oral cancer screening on May 26, 2010 in Plano, TX during the Plano Senior Recreation Center’s health fair. We donated our Identifi (Trimira) machine and informational pamphlets, wrist bands and some other goodies for the cause.
This was the first time the Center conducted Oral Cancer Examinations using the Trimira Identafi, a leading oral cancer screening piece of technology. Volunteers from three schools of Dental Hygiene at Texas Women’s University, Collin College and Baylor preformed the examinations. They were assisted by volunteers from Contemporary Oral Surgery and Dr. Lesslie Moore. Approximately 200-250 people were screened.
The event was organized by Deborah Stewart with the help of Community Dental Care, Dr. Lee Fitzgerald, and the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation.
May Is National Fight Oral Cancer Month
May is the National Fight Oral Cancer Month. The May Cover of The Journal of the American Dental Association magazine (JADA) is about oral cancer. Below is an excerpt from the article.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 35,720 new cases of cancer of the oral and pharyngeal region in the United States in 2009, with 7,600 deaths from the disease.1 When focusing specifically on the oral cavity, ACS estimated that in 2009, there would be 23,110 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity (hereafter referred to as “oral cancer”) and 5,370 deaths. Nearly 90 percent of these malignancies are squamous cell carcinomas. More than 97 percent of U.S. cases of these cancers occur among adults 35 years and older. Although the incidence rate (IR) of oral and pharyngeal cancers is decreasing overall, the IR of cancers of the tongue, oropharynx and tonsil is increasing. The 2002–2006 age-adjusted (to the 2000 U.S. population) IR of oral and pharyngeal cancers in the United States was 10.3 per 100,000 per year. The age-adjusted IR was more than twice as high among men (15.9) as among women (6.0), as was the mortality rate (men, 4.0; women, 1.5).
Among the groups described in data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program, African-American men are at the highest risk of developing oral and pharyngeal cancers of any group in the United States (IR 16.7 per 100,000 per year). The five-year relative survival rate varies widely by stage at the time of diagnosis, from 81.8 percent for patients diagnosed in localized stages and 52.1 percent for patients with regional lymph node involvement to 26.5 percent for patients with distant metastasis. Yet, oral and pharyngeal cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage in only one-third of patients in the United States. The overall five-year relative survival rate for the 1999–2005 period was 61.0 percent and varied significantly by race (62.4 percent for white men and 38.2 percent for black men). Much of the racial disparity in survival rates was due to the greater proportion of tumors diagnosed at late stages among black men than among white men.
Click here for the full PDF of the ADA article on oral cancer.
Free Oral Cancer Screening, Saturday, April 17th, Baylor Downtown Dallas
A FREE Oral Cancer Screening will be held at Baylor between 9am and 12 noon on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at Baylor in Downtown Dallas. For the full sized brochure click this link: Oral Cancer Screening.
Tin Star Fundraiser – Friday Breakfast and Dinner
The TinStar Fundraiser is this Friday! Click on the brochure icon below to view the full-sized flyer.
Proceeds will go to fund The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation. All you have to do… is eat.
National Walk for Oral Cancer – Volunteers Needed!
We are preparing for our National Walk for Oral Cancer that will take place in May. Details on the Dallas location will be sent out shortly. If you have a heart to help in the fight against oral cancer and would like to be a part of this event, please let me know as we are currently building our volunteer team and could use as many hands as possible.
This will be the inaugural walk, thus, we are open to volunteers that wish to take on various projects. Money that we raise will go toward:
- Educational pamphlet to be distributed at schools, hospitals, health fairs and public libraries locally and nationwide.
- Provide dental care and dental hygiene educational programs for children.
- Hold free oral cancer screenings locally and nationwide.
- Sponsor speakers to raise awareness and promote screening.
- Fund oral cancer research.
Hosting Local Walk Nationally or Internationally
We encourage individuals and organizations that are not from Dallas to host a walk in your hometown. If you are interested in hosting one in your area, please let us know and we’ll work with you to give you the details you’ll need in order to host your own walk.
Eat a Taco. Save a Life.
TinStar is doing it again! They are giving the proceeds from the money they make to help The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation! We are so honored by their generosity! It’s simple… You buy your normal meal for the normal price, and TinStar will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation.
We’ll also be raffling two $50 gift certifates!
The fundraiser for FOCF is happening at one location for one day and two meal times. The information is below:
Date: Friday, January 22,2010
Time: Breakfast and Lunch
Location: Bank of America Plaza-Downtown Dallas – 901 Main Street, C-119, Dallas, TX 75202 – (214) 741-5050
We look forward to meeting you as together we fight oral cancer!
Event at Highland Spring Center to Raise Oral Cancer Awareness
One of our joys as the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation is to bring awareness to the severity of the existence and spread of oral cancer. One of the ways that we bring about awareness is through speaking engagements and participating in health fairs and free oral cancer screenings.
In November we had the opportunity of speaking at the Highland Spring Center’s health fair. Highland Spring is an active living facility.
The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation had an informational booth and Arma had a chance to present a 15 minute presentation, speaking about her oral cancer. It was truly a joy to be a part of the health fair and raising awareness with the kind people at the facility. We look forward to many more opportunities in 2010.
Eat at TinStar and Fight Oral Cancer this Tuesday, Dec 8th
TinStar is partnering with FOCF to raise money for oral cancer. Click here for the posted poster about this oral cancer event.
You, your family and your colleagues are invited to an evening of fundraising at the Frisco TinStar restaurant location on December 8th from 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Address:
3301 Preston Road, Ste. 1
Frisco, TX 75034
A percentage of all proceeds from Dine In and Take Out that day will be donated to The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation.
Your meal will help us in our mission to save a life every hour of every day, as we are losing one person to oral cancer every hour of every day.
Your participation is greatly appreciated.
God bless you.
Our Best Regards,
The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation Team
“Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.” – The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation
TinStar Fundraiser: Eat a meal. Save a life.
Oral Cancer Walk Raises Money for the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation
In October there was a Walk for Oral Cancer that took place in Lima, Ohio that was put on by the Northwestern Ohio Dental Hygienists’ Association. Although the weather was cold and rainy, the walk was a success! During their first annual walk for oral cancer, they had 30 people walk 3.5 miles and raised over $500 for the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation.
We’d like to offer a special thanks to all of the walkers that were a part of the oral cancer walk in Lima, OH. We look forward to hearing more about it next year at the second annual walk for oral cancer in Lima, OH.
