Conditions And Diseases | American Oral Cancer Foundation

Betel Nut Blamed For Taiwan Oral Cancer Death Toll

Experts in Taiwan are blaming a rise in the rate of oral cancer on the popular habit of chewing betel nut as well as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Taiwanese health professionals have seen oral cancer rates rise by four times in the the last four decades, making oral cancer conditions such as mouth cancer and throat cancers one of the 10 top causes of death in the country.
One public health researcher, Dr Liao Yung-po carried out a study that revealed a rise of 280 percent in deaths resulting from oral cancer conditions and also discovered that the risk of death from the disease for males was quadruple that of females.
Dr Yung-po has now called on the government to take action to halt the rising death toll from oral cancer.
The majority of the cancers seen throughout the study were squamous cell carcinomas – a variant of the disease that is ofen associated with substance use such as tobacco smoking, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nut – the fruit of the areca tree which is prepared and mixed with tobacco for oral use.
Chewing betel nut is a traditional practice in many Asian countries, where the practice is believed to produce benefits such as reducing tiredness and making users more alert – manual workers often chew betel nut to help them through their tasks while the product is also considered something of a traditional remedy to increase appetite and aid digestion.
However in studies of animals and human cells, the plant has been shown to have been instrumental in the development of cancerous changes to cells.
Dr Yung-po said the increase in oral cancer deaths was “alarming” and repeated requests for the country’s health authorities to act to bring the situation under control and prevent further unnecessary deaths from oral cancer conditions such as mouth and throat cancers.

Can You Inherit Oral Cancer?

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

So, if you have a family history of cancer, you are best to avoid something that has proven to cause cancer in folks who don’t even have a family history of it. This means chewing tobacco.

Oral cancer is treated like any cancer, however it is probably most upsetting when it deals so much with a physical appearance and general operation of your daily life. Your jaw and teeth are your tools. When you are facing an inability to use them, you may find yourself losing your patience and become disheartened. Before it reaches this point, be aware of how important your mouth is. It is your tool, your smile, your everyday partner in how you view the world and use the things in your life that we usually take for granted.

Oral cancer is a frightening prospect but a very real one if you smoke, chew tobacco, never floss and rarely brush. The importance of avoiding the bad things and doing the good things for your oral health and health in general can never be minimized. Some folks may laugh at you for flossing after every meal, but if it doesn’t harm you, and you do it for proper health and maintenance, let them laugh. You know you are doing your best for your dental health.

Having the best dentists in the world at your side when you are suffering from tooth decay or rotting gums won’t help at all if it is just too late. Do not let it get to this stage. Get your health in order with your teeth and follow up with your oral surgeon or dentist if you need to keep a careful look on your teeth.

Your gums will thank you.

Oral cancer is not directly hereditary. Although, having a genetic predisposition to cancer itself may make your body more sensitive to cell mutation developed from exposure to things like tobacco, later, a possible result in Oral Cancer.
So, if you have a family history of cancer, you are best to avoid something that has proven to cause cancer in folks who don’t even have a family history of it. This means chewing tobacco.
Oral cancer is treated like any cancer, however it is probably most upsetting when it deals so much with a physical appearance and general operation of your daily life. Your jaw and teeth are your tools. When you are facing an inability to use them, you may find yourself losing your patience and become disheartened. Before it reaches this point, be aware of how important your mouth is. It is your tool, your smile, your everyday partner in how you view the world and use the things in your life that we usually take for granted.
Oral cancer is a frightening prospect but a very real one if you smoke, chew tobacco, never floss and rarely brush. The importance of avoiding the bad things and doing the good things for your oral health and health in general can never be minimized. Some folks may laugh at you for flossing after every meal, but if it doesn’t harm you, and you do it for proper health and maintenance, let them laugh. You know you are doing your best for your dental health.
Having the best dentists in the world at your side when you are suffering from tooth decay or rotting gums won’t help at all if it is just too late. Do not let it get to this stage. Get your health in order with your teeth and follow up with your oral surgeon or dentist if you need to keep a careful look on your teeth.
Your gums will thank you.

Filed Under: Oral Cancer, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Chewing tobacco, Conditions and Diseases, Oral Cancer

Early Detection — The Key To Fighting Oral Cancer

A diagnosis of cancer is never good news. Yet much of the prognosis depends on the type and degree of the disease. Is it stage one, stage two? Is it treatable? Do you have a chance? Is it beatable? What’s realistic? What are your options? Can you fight it? All these questions quickly swirl around the patients’ mind in the first shocking moments after diagnosis.

Yes, cancer is beatable—but you must know your enemy in order to beat it. In the case of oral cancer, early detection is critical to the chances of recovery for the patient.

Oral cancer is a disease of the mouth, tongue, cheeks, sinuses, and pharynx. The rate of survival for those diagnosed with oral cancer is not high. Roughly half of those diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. each year (36,000) survive more than five years. The high mortality rate associated with this disease (higher than that of cervical cancer or skin cancer) is closely linked to the progression of the cancer at the time of its detection. Sadly, diagnosis of the oral cancer often doesn’t occur until the disease has spread to other parts of the body — usually the lymph nodes located in the neck. In its early stages, oral cancer often has few detectable symptoms, and may not noticed until it has spread, producing tumors in other areas of the body

There is a definitive link between the use of tobacco and the risk of oral cancer. While cigarette smoking increases the possibility of developing this type of cancer, smokeless tobacco products, like chewing tobacco, can also greatly increase a patient’s vulnerability to the disease. Anyone who uses tobacco regularly should be aware of the risks involved.

Oral cancer is treatable with a combination of therapies, including radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, depending on the specifics of the patient’s situation. A lifestyle free of tobacco, however, is one of the best defenses a patient can have against oral cancer.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Cancer Tagged With: Cancer, Conditions and Diseases, Oral Cancer

Betel Nut Blamed For Taiwan Oral Cancer Death Toll

Can You Inherit Oral Cancer?

Early Detection — The Key To Fighting Oral Cancer

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