Celebrating Oral Cancer Awareness Month By Saving Lives
Monday - April 2nd, 2018
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and we’re celebrating by sharing some little known facts about oral cancer:
- According to the American Cancer Society, about 51,540 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.
- About 10,030 will die in 2018 from oral cancers; that’s over one person every hour, 24 hours a day, all year long.
- The average age of most people diagnosed with these cancers is 62, but they can occur in young people. They are rare in children, but a little more than one-quarter occur in patients younger than 55.
- These cancers are more than twice as common in men as in women.
- Tobacco and alcohol increase risk for these cancers.
The good news: oral cancer is 90 percent curable if found in its earliest stages. Even better news: through the Smiles For Everyone Foundation, we offer free oral cancer screenings at Day of Giving events. For more information on these events and services, visit SmilesForEveryone.org.
So next time you’re putting off going to the dentist, remember that it’s more than just your teeth at stake – it could be your life.
