Climbing the ranks

This latest data shows around 7,300 people were diagnosed with oral cancer in the UK in 2012, and twice as many men than women were diagnosed with the disease – around 4,900 males and 2,400 females.

It is the fifteenth most common cancer in women.

Over the last decade, cases of oral cancer have risen from around 4,500 back in 2002. The incidence rate of the disease has increased by a third over ten years, rising from nine per 100,000 people in 2002 to 12 per 100,000 in 2012.

Because of this sharp rise in oral cancer cases, Cancer Research UK has partnered with the British Dental Association and the British Dental Health Foundation to raise awareness of oral cancer during Mouth Cancer Action Month. They are launching a new oral cancer toolkit for dental professionals and GPs to help try and spot the disease earlier.

The free toolkit for health professional features images of signs and symptoms and outlines how GPs and dentists should refer patients for further tests. Health professionals also accrue credit for their continued professional development by completing the toolkit.