Tobacco chewers targeted in fresh mouth cancer campaign

Published on Wednesday 4 February 2009 08:48

HEALTH bosses have launched a new campaign aimed at tobacco chewers and smokers in a bid to cut the rise in the number of people suffering mouth cancer.

The disease kills more than 70 people a year in the Lothians and the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the symptoms and treatment.

The disease is particularly prevalent in the over-40s.

Health experts say it is a highly treatable disease, but must be caught early to avoid surgery which often means a large part of the mouth being removed. It can also be fatal.

Tobacco is the main thrust of the new initiative, with warnings aimed at ethnic minority groups in the city who like chewing tobacco or paan – a tobacco-based substance popular with some south-east Asian communities that is sometimes referred to as beetle nut.

Reducing alcohol consumption to within weekly recommended units is another way to reduce the chances of the disease developing, as is undergoing regular dental check-ups.

A list of mouth cancer symptoms has also been produced in a new pamphlet.

The most common is a persistent white, red or speckled patch in the mouth, or an ulcer which does not heal within a few weeks.

Symptoms include unexplained lumps or bumps in the mouth; numbness, pain or bleeding not caused by any other known ailment; or increasing difficulty in eating spicy food.

The leaflet, which has also been translated into a range of other languages, states: "Anyone can get mouth cancer.

"The disease now affects all age groups in Scotland, including young people.

"The causes of mouth cancer are many and varied. Some people get it for no obvious reason."

The pamphlet also urges people, particularly ethnic minorities who are keen on tobacco chewing, not to seek out unproven treatments from family or friends or seek help from unregistered care workers.

Alison McCallum, NHS Lothian's director of public health and public policy, suggested that mouth cancer was also a concern when it came to health inequalities.

She said: "One of the things we are looking at is working with ethnic minorities who are chewing tobacco rather than smoking it."

The latest tobacco chewing element to the campaign is one of many recent initiatives the health board has launched in a bid to improve the health of ethnic minorities.

Significant investment is being ploughed into translating information into many languages, while Africans were recently targeted as part of a healthy living campaign which saw the recruitment of former Hearts player Jose Quitongo.

An Edinburgh spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: "Awareness on mouth cancer is low but it can be very dangerous. You can lower your risk by not using tobacco or paan or drinking too much. Symptoms like sore throats or unexplained lumps lasting more than three weeks should be seen by a doctor."