Dentists warn people under 45 of mystery rise in mouth cancer

PEOPLE under 45 have been warned to look out for signs of mouth cancer after a surprise rise in cases for this age group.

New figures reveal a growing number of young people in Scotland who neither smoke nor drink – the two main causes of mouth cancer– are being diagnosed with the disease.

Men aged 50 and over who drink and smoked heavily remain most at risk.

Dental experts said more work is needed to find out the reason for the rise among younger people but believe it could be down to poor diet, lack of sunshine and the spread of certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Yesterday the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) revealed they expect about 800 people in Scotland to be diagnosed with the disease this year. They said about a tenth of diagnoses will be in younger people who do not smoke or drink excessively.

The FGDP said it would be encouraging dentists and dental hygienists to be extra vigilant to detect early stage mouth cancer.

A spokesman said: “Dental practices are on the front line for mouth cancer prevention and are being urged to emphasise Health Scotland’s messages on diet, alcohol and smoking.

“It is hoped that identifying cases early will lead to better survival rates and that research will help pinpoint the causes.”

The faculty revealed the figures to mark the start of Mouth Cancer Awareness Month, which will see a number of dental practices run a “treatment for a donation” scheme where patients donate money to mouth cancer charity The Ben Walton Trust in return for treatment.

The dentists said the number of cases in Scotland is almost twice that of the south of England and they estimate that, on average, in the UK one person dies every four hours from mouth cancer.

The spokesman added: “Ultimately our goal is to give clearer guidance on how to reduce the risk of all cancers of the mouth so gathering demographic information is vital.”

The cancer can affect the lips, tongue, gums and inner mouth. Tumours associated with HPV – a virus spread through body fluids – are mostly found on the tonsils and throat. Symptoms include mouth ulcers or lesions and lumps in the mouth and red or white patches on the tongue which do not heal within two weeks.

It is the sixth most common cancer in the UK with more people dying from the disease than from road traffic accidents.

Mouth cancer can be treated effectively if caught early – nine in ten patients treated at the early stage will live longer than two years.

The FGDP advised people to eat fresher, healthier food to ­reduce the risk of mouth cancer, which is the cancer which has seen the biggest increase in cases over the past 25 years.