Worldwide, more than 500,000 new cases of cancer of the mouth are diagnosed each year.

The majority of these cancers are found too late, causing many people to die within five years of finding out they have cancer. There exists much information addressing issues related to the patient who has undergone surgery or chemotherapy but little information related to early diagnosis and referral.

In a new article in the Journal of Prosthodontics, researchers led by Michael A. Siegel, DDS, MS, FDS, RCSEd, describe the epidemiology of oral cancer and the diagnostic tools currently available to prosthodontists to ensure that their patients are diagnosed at the earliest possible time.

The highest risk of developing oral cancer is in adults over 40 who use both tobacco and alcohol.

The majority of oral, head and neck cancer are initially diagnosed in a late stage, which has a five year prognosis of less than 50 percent. If these tumors are found in their earliest stage, the five year prognosis is 95 percent.

Source