Dr. Sumaya Aboulhosn ALMA Mouth Cancers Dr. Sumaya Aboulhosn ALMA

What is mouth cancer and what does it look like? A flat patch of abnormal cell growth (white, red, or both in color) and looks like a sore. Mixed red and white sore is likely to become cancerous Bright red velvety patches are pre-cancerous (75-90% are cancerous), most often found on the floor of the mouth or under the tongue, or gums behind back teeth. White patches can also become cancerous.

How do you know you have mouth cancer? SYMPTOMS Ulcer in the mouth or lip that don’t heal after 2 weeks Constant pain or soreness Lump on the lip, tongue or cheek Difficulty chewing or swallowing Unexplained bleeding in mouth Ill-fitting dentures Numbness in the mouth Loose teeth

Prevalence 3-4% of all cancers in Australia are oral.

Causes Smoking (Any kind of tobacco) Heavy alcohol consumption (>3 drinks/day) increases risk by 2-3 times. Family History (70% more likely) Exposure to asbestos (25% higher risk) **No evidence red wine prevents cancer in humans!!

What happens to cancer risk after a person stops (heavy) drinking alcohol? Stopping alcohol consumption does NOT immediately reduce cancer risk Takes years for risk of cancer to return to level of non drinkers. A population in Utah who abstain from drinking alcohol or smoking were found to have 2-3 times less likelihood of having oral cancer Takes approx. ~10 years to return to normal levels.

Smoking Is shisha as harmless as we think? It is a misconception that it is safer than cigarettes. Many believe that harmful ingredients are filtered through the water. Shisha smokers are exposed to sufficient amount of nicotine to cause addiction. WHO – 45 minutes of shisha has nicotine = to 1 packet of cigarettes. 1 hour of shisha is 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette. Inhale 90,000ml of smokes compared to 500-600ml in a cigarette. It is not the nicotine, but other toxic compounds from the charcoal (e.g. Carbon Monoxide, tar, and heavy metals) in shisha that cause the mouth cancer Infection risk increases by sharing mouthpiece

Ex-Smokers In 1-4 years of quitting, risk of mouth cancer decreases by 35%. After 20 years, the risk of mouth cancer is equal to non- smokers. 75% of those with oral cancer in patients over 50 are tobbaco-related. If you smoke and drink, you increase your risk of mouth cancer by 15 times.

How dangerous is oral cancer? Oral cancer often goes undetected and progresses without pain or symptoms in early stages. Worldwide, 450,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year. Death rate is higher because it is discovered at a late stage. Higher death rate than that of cervical cancer. 25% die in 5 years of diagnosis. 5-10 yrs after first diagnosis, you have 20 times greater risk of developing second cancer. 91% of oral cancers can be prevented.

Diet 56% of oral cancers are linked to eating too few fruits and vegetables (UK). High intake of fruit – 48% lower risk High intake of veggies – 34% lower risk

Prepare yourself to quit If you want to live a longer and healthier life and if you care about the people you love, there are many ways you can go about quitting! You can call QUITLINE on 137848 and/or talk to your GP!

Thank You!