Oral Cancer Survival Rates
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with any form of cancer, the question of survival rate often comes up. A survival rate is something that is not absolute, but is mainly a gathering of statistics based on the results of past patients with the same types and progression of cancer upon diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Cancer survival rates or survival statistics tell you the percentage of people who survive a certain type of cancer for a specific amount of time.” The survival rate uses a 5-year scope, meaning that after 5-years it will tell you the percentage of patients that are living.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, “60% of those with oral cancer survive over 5 years.” Since 1965 the survival rate has been increasing, due to more awareness and earlier detection. Below is a table that was provided by NIDCR regarding trends in survival based on race, gender, and race.
Oral Cancer Detection Devices
Recently, we had a Twitter follower ask us what the latest methods of detecting oral cancer are. With Twitter’s allowances of only 140 characters to answer the question, we decided to post a blog that gives a more in depth look at the state of oral cancer detection devices.
The main oral cancer detection devices that are on the market today are:
- Brush biopsy – “The OralCDx® BrushTest®is an easy, painless and definitive way for dentists to test the common small white and red oral spots that most people have in their mouth at one time or another. The BrushTest is used to determine if a common oral spot contains abnormal cells (known as dysplasia) that, if left alone for several years, may develop into oral cancer.”
- ViziLite Plus, MicroLux DL – A light technology that “in combination with a regular visual examination, provides a comprehensive oral screening procedure for patients at increased risk for oral cancer.”
- Velscope - “The ‘white light’ exam. The VELscope exam is actually the second step in a comprehensive oral cancer exam. The first step is a conventional ‘white light’ exam in which the dentist or hygienist looks for lesions in the oral cavity with the naked eye and uses palpation to feel for any bumps in the neck or face.”
- Trimira OCS 3000 – Trimira’s®, new Identafi® 3000 ultra uses the Identafi® Multi-Spectral Fluorescence and Reflectance technology to enhance visualization of mucosal abnormalities such as oral cancer or premalignant dysplasia that may not be apparent to the naked eye. But unlike other fluorescence technologies and dye systems, the Identafi® 3000 ultra is Multi-Spectral with three distinct color wavelengths, making it easier to distinguish lesion morphology and vasculature thereby reducing false positives.
The oral cancer detection devices mentioned above are only tools for screening and are not designed to diagnose oral cancer. They result false negatives if not used appropriately. The ideal screening is a conventional visual oral tactile exam at the dental office first.
Visiting a pathologist in suspicious cases is highly recommended. A second opinion can save you a lifetime. Do not wait and watch the cancer grow in your mouth.
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Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.
Oral Cancer Survivors
According to MD Anderson, a leading cancer treatment hospital,
Thanks to earlier detection, improved treatments and the supportive care of family and friends, there are now more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. One out of every six people over 65 is a cancer survivor, and 1.4 million were diagnosed more than 20 years ago.
Some survivors may live with cancer as a chronic disease requiring periodic treatments, while others may go into long-term remission. Many will lead normal lives with few side effects, if any. In fact, two-thirds of survivors report that cancer has not had a significant long-term impact on their lives.
Early detection is the best way to survive cancer. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research,
Oral cancer survival rates have increased approximately 15 percent from the mid 1960s until the latest (2004) National Cancer Institute Survey. In spite of this improvement, significant disparities remain in some population groups.
The more awareness that is raised regarding the concerns of oral cancer, the higher the likelihood of early detection. Encourage your friends and your family to incorporate regular oral cancer screenings in their dental checkups.
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Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.
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.
Be a Life Saver
Ever since we began The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation in 2008 with the slogan “Be a Life Saver”, we’ve been dedicated to giving towards the cause of fighting oral cancer.
Every dollar counts when it comes to saving a life.
Your donations* 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.
*95% of all donations go toward the foundation’s cause and only 5% is used to cover administrative expenses.
Join others as together we fight oral cancer. Click here to donate.
Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.
New Surgery Kills Inoperable Cancers
When we hear the term “inoperable cancer”, a sense of hopelessness can often times accompany it. Thus, when we hear of a new surgery that is making waves in the medical community and positively affects cancers that have been termed, inoperable, hope comes. There is a new laser surgery that holds the following claim: “Patients with inoperable head and neck cancer have had tumours “drop off” after treatment with a new form of laser therapy, doctors say.”
Further claims of the new surgery as reported by the Health Correspondent for Times Online state:
Colin Hopper, a head and neck surgeon at the hospital, is leading the study. He said that patients with advanced or recurring cancers who had stopped responding to chemotherapy had experienced benefits.
One patient with an inoperable tumour on his tongue saw it disappear completely, while another, with advanced sarcoma on his jaw, lived for six months, far longer than doctors previously predicted.
Although news of oral cancer never falls on a willing ear, there is still hope. Technology is advancing and the world is standing strong as we support those that are working feverishly to find a cure.
Click here for the complete article titled: Inoperable cancers killed by new laser surgery
Oral Cancer Screening: Reviewing the New Technologies
There are many technologies that boast of the ability to detect pre-cancer conditions for oral cancer. These oral cancer screening technologies look for abnormal cells that when detected will allow the physician to be able to more precisely locate risk areas and do a more thorough assessment. However, the question arises: “Do these technologies truly live up to their claims?”
The research in the article Oral Precancer and Early Cancer Detection- A Review of Technologies by Jerry E. Bouquot, DDS, MSD, Patricia Suarez, DDS, MS and Nadarajah Vigneswaran, BDS, DMD3 provides an overview and summary of the technologies that are out there, determining if they are what they claim to be.
In reviewing oral cancer screening, the procedures that are covered are:
- The Brush Biopsy
- Toluidine Blue – in Vivo Staining of DnA in the Dental Office
- The ViziLite – Highlighting the Keratin
- Oral Autofluorescence – When the Mucosa doesn’t glow
In conclusion on their oral cancer screening technology review they had this to say:
“Our intention is not to recommend one of these technologies over another, but the future looks most bright for the optical autofluorescence technology (pardon our pun), combined with either a biopsy, brush biopsy or LBC. All devices have limitations and the published research is sparse, but until other methods are developed, such as the use of molecular markers in salivary proteomics or genomics, it is heartening to know that relatively acceptable in-office devices are already available and can be used as adjunctive diagnostic tools. Refinements and continued research will undoubtedly improve our ability to detect, at the earliest possible stage, dysplastic changes in our patients, and new technologies may emerge quickly which will prove much more valuable. Until then, it is refreshing to be practicing dentistry during a time of such exciting emerging technologies attempting to address one of the most frustrating and serious of our oral diagnostic dilemmas.”
Click here for the complete article on oral cancer screenings technologies.
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Photo Credit: Oral Cancer
Roger Ebert’s Fight with Oral Cancer on Oprah
Roger Ebert, the acclaimed movie critic from the group Siskel and Ebert, is an oral cancer survivor that is still thriving today. The Oprah.com published a recent article on Roger Ebert highlighting his fight and how he overcame the disease. His fight with cancer left him in a spot where he lost his voice completely. However, he didn’t let that stop him. According to Oprah,
Another blow came in 2002, when Roger was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which later spread to his salivary glands and jaw. He endured surgery after surgery, and the cancer eventually took Roger’s voice. In 2006, he was forced to leave his show after more than 30 years on the air.
Although cancer has left Roger unable to speak, eat or drink, it hasn’t slowed him down one bit. More than forty years after he started, his words are as powerful as ever. His reviews are still featured in more than 200 newspapers worldwide, and readers flock to his popular blog.
Follow this link for the full article on Roger Ebert’s fight with oral cancer.
**Photo Credit: Time Magazine
Does Mouthwash Increase the Risk of Oral Cancer?
A risk simply means that there is an increased risk to a disease, but does not mean that it is a cause of a disease. For instance, if a substance produces a weakening in the body’s natural ability to fight disease, than it would be termed a risk factor. Mouthwash has been promoted for years as a way to improve the health of the mouth. However, with the high amounts of alcohol in many mouthwashes, there has been substantive evidence that has raised the concerns of researchers regarding the safety of mouthwash. There have been studies that have shown that mouthwash could increase the chances of oral cancer.
The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.
Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.
Some mouthwash contains as much as 26 percent alcohol.
The University of Maryland reveals,
Some studies have shown that mouthwash with alcohol content increases the risk for oral cancer. In addition, other studies have shown that smokers and people who drink alcohol tend to use mouthwash more often, linking all three factors together.
The American Cancer Society mentions the concerns toward mouthwash being a risk factor for oral cancer. However, they state that the concerns are uncertain, unproven and controversial, albeit worthy of mention.
Some studies have suggested that mouthwash with high alcohol content might be linked to a higher risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. But recent research has questioned these results. Studying this possible link is complicated by the fact that smokers and frequent drinkers (who are already at increased risk of these cancers) are more likely to use mouthwash than people who neither smoke nor drink.
Whether or not mouthwash is a cause of oral cancer, is certainly being debated as there are controversial opinions on the matter. However, if a risk factor means that the guards that could protect a patient from acquiring oral cancer are reduced than the risks for oral cancer are certainly in question. The Australian Dental Association has the question on their radar as well. They sum up the controversy nicely with the below:
“The most significant difference (between alcohol and alcohol-containing mouthwash) is that one is for pleasure and the other is being recommended as a health product.”
Cancer Council NSW chief executive Andrew Penman said the review was “interesting”, but called for further research.
“I think it’s quite a well-thought-out proposition, but it does warrant further investigation,” he said.
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Photo Credit: Telegraph
