April 2018 Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month
For the eighth consecutive year, Dr. Fiss will be offering free oral cancer screenings (usually $35) using the VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment System at all cleanings during the entire month of April. Dr. Fiss is committed to doing his part to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of this devastating disease. As with most cancers, early detection dramatically increases the survival rate. Dr. Fiss and his staff are proud to be part of the first line of defense against oral cancer by encouraging yearly oral cancer screenings as well as educating his patients as to the risk factors and early signs and symptoms of oral cancer. We are also honored to have our event featured on The Oral Cancer Foundation’s website.
Facts
- Approximately 51,550 Americans will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2018.
- Common names for oral cancer include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, tonsil cancer, and throat cancer.
- When found at early stages of development, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate.
- Unfortunately, the majority are found as late-stage cancers, and this accounts for the very high death rate of over 40 percent at five years from diagnosis.
- While smoking and tobacco use are still major risk factors, the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients is young, healthy, nonsmoking individuals due to the connection to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
*Facts provided by www.oralcancer.org
Signs and Symptoms Include
- Red and/or white discolorations of the soft tissue of the mouth
- Any sore that does not heal within 14 days
- Hoarseness that lasts for a prolonged period of time
- A sensation that something is stuck in your throat when swallowing
- Unexplained numbness in the mouth
- Ear pain that occurs on one side only
- A sore under a denture that does not heal, even after adjustment of the denture
To schedule your free oral cancer screening during the month of April with Dr. Fiss, contact our office at (312) 642-6631, or fill out our online contact form for additional information. For additional information, please visit our website at https://www.drfiss.com/procedures/oral-cancer-screening/.