The rising issue of oral cancer

Zainab Malik

Oral cancer is a dangerous and life-threatening disease if not recognised and treated early and, unfortunately, the issue of oral cancer in the UK has grown in recent decades, rising from affecting 6.6 women and 13.9 men out of 100,000 in 2001 to 10 women and 22 men in 2019. This data displays that, in just 18 years, the number of individuals facing mouth cancer has increased by over 150% for both men and women. 

Oral cancer occurs due to cells, most often squamous epithelial cells in the lining of the mouth, mutating; which causes the cells to divide uncontrollably. Whilst all cells need to divide in order to grow, the uncontained growth is dangerous, presenting as a tumour in the mouth or throat. If the cancerous cells spread, it is malignant and classed as oral cancer. 

Causes of oral cancer (including a genetic component, and contracting HPV which can be reduced by vaccines against HPV) can be down to environmental risk factors. Reducing smoking (as well as passive smoking) and levels of alcohol consumption decrease the risk factors for mouth cancer. However, the use of nicotine pouches in the mouth does not have a causal link to mouth cancer as nicotine itself is not a carcinogen. 

However, it has been identified that reducing these risk factors is significantly more difficult in deprived areas. This is because, in deprived areas, there is less funding for dental health programs which means the incidence and mortality rates of mouth cancer are higher, so it is necessary to fund these via government spending in investing to reduce the inequality of healthcare across the UK. 

The key way to beat oral cancer is to detect it early - to avoid its progression. The early stages of mouth cancer are detected by symptomatic sores in the lips, mouth, throat, tongue and any dramatic change in the colour and texture of these areas that last for more than 3 weeks. If these symptoms are observed, the best course of action is to visit a dentist, and if they find anything unusual, it can be referred to a specialist. 

As oral cancer is a growing issue, it is important to recognise the symptoms and attempt to avoid the environmental risk factors. Moreover, oral cancer can be treated and beaten, with a higher probability if caught in the earlier stages, with methods like; surgery; radiotherapy and chemotherapy; and targeted immunotherapy.