April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month: Self-exams, early detection can save lives

April 1, 2024

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Early detection of oral cancer offers a greater chance of a cure. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is reminding the public during Oral Cancer Awareness Month of the importance of performing monthly self-exams.

AAOMS promotes self-exams and screenings every April with the Oral Cancer Foundation. The National Cancer Institute estimates about 68,000 new cases of head and neck cancers will be diagnosed in the United States annually.

“Devoting just a few minutes each month to self-examination could be a life-saving practice,” said AAOMS President Mark A. Egbert, DDS, FACS. “Consistent self-checks enhance the likelihood of detecting any changes or new growths, and early intervention significantly boosts the survival rate of oral cancer to between 80 and 90 percent.”

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) encourage a six-step oral cancer self-exam that involves looking and feeling inside the mouth for suspicious sores and feeling the jaw and neck for lumps. Using a bright light and a mirror:

1. First remove any dentures.
2. Look and feel inside the lips and the front of the gums.
3. Tilt the head back to inspect and feel the roof of the mouth.
4. Pull the cheek out to inspect it and the gums in the back.
5. Pull out the tongue and look at its top and bottom.
6. Feel for lumps or enlarged lymph nodes in both sides of the neck, including under the lower jaws.

Oral cancer symptoms may include one or more of the following if they are persistent and not resolving:

• Red, white or black patches in the soft tissue of the mouth.
• A sore in the mouth that fails to heal within two weeks and bleeds easily.
• An abnormal lump or hard spot in the mouth.
• A painless, firm, fixated mass or lump felt on the outside of the neck that has been present for at least two weeks.
• Difficulty in swallowing, including a feeling food is caught in the throat.
• Chronic sore throat, hoarseness or coughing.
• A chronic earache on one side.

Risk factors such as smoking, tobacco use, alcohol consumption and infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) have been associated with the development of oral cancer. Yet nonsmokers under the age of 50 currently are the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population.

“Performing a monthly self-exam and knowing the risk factors and symptoms are crucial to early detection,” Dr. Egbert said. “Should you experience any symptoms persisting for more than two weeks, it’s essential to promptly seek assistance from an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. OMSs are experts in diagnosing and surgically treating oral cancer.”

Visit MyOMS.org for more information or to find a surgeon.