Oral cancer is the eleventh
most common cancer in the world with an estimated 267,000
cases and 128,000 deaths in around 2000, two-thirds of
which is observed in developing countries. The Indian
sub-continent accounts for one-third of the world burden.
The incidence and mortality from oral cancer is rising
in several regions of Europe, Japan and Australia. It
is considered to be a suitable disease for screening
by visual inspection of the oral cavity, in view of the
recognisable precancerous lesions and improved survival
after treatment of early stage disease. The efficacy
and cost effectiveness of organised screening in reducing
mortality from oral cancer remains to be established.
A brief description of the only on-going randomized controlled
trial in the world to demonstrate the effect of oral
cancer screening on mortality is provided.
RESOURCES:
MedlinePlus
- Oral Cancer link
MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer
health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative
information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), and other government agencies and health-related
organizations. MedlinePlus also has extensive information
about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive
patient tutorials, and latest health news. Please make
sure you check the MedlinePlus online for cervical cancer
with an extensive, constantly updated resource list. Please
click here
Quick Clinical Reference Chart for Visual Inspection
of the Oral Cavity to Detect Precancerous Lesions and
Invasive Cancer.
International Agency for Reseach on Cancer (IARC) Screening
Group. 1 Page, color photos (pdf 156K). To download
the pdf file please click here
A digital manual for the early diagnosis of
oral neoplasia
International Agency for Reseach on Cancer (IARC) Screening
Group. Ramadas K., Lucas E., Thomas G., Mathew B., Balan
A., Thara S. The oral cavity is the
hollow part of the mouth, which can be accessed and examined
easily. A thorough physical examination of the oral cavity
provides valuable insight into a person’s overall health
in general and their oral health in particular. An extraoral
head and neck physical examination is an integral component
of assessment of oral health. Although a comprehensive
examination of the oral cavity is an essential component
of any general physical examination, it often receives
minimal attention in routine practice. A careful history
and oral examination leads to clinical suspicion of infection,
trauma, reactive or neoplastic processes localized in
the oral cavity and of oral manifestations of systemic
diseases thereby providing valuable diagnostic leads.
Careful history, clinical examination and microscopic
findings from a biopsy can lead to the early diagnosis
of a vast majority of oral lesions.
Examination of the oral cavity should be an integral
component of any thorough routine physical examination
as it provides valuable insight into a person's overall
state of health. Unfortunately, however, it is often
not the case and especially because cancers,
even pre-malignant lesions, in the mouth can be seen
and identified by experienced examiners on visual inspection.
This atlas, which contains over 400 pictures, is one
of a series of publications from the Screening Group
of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
in the domain of early detection and prevention cancer.
It is intended for use by medical practitioners, nurses
and health workers in the primary health care network,
dentists, oncologists and other doctors. It is a useful
tool to train nursing, medical and dental students and
primary health workers. It can be used as an initial
teaching tool, for progressive self-training and evaluation,
as well as for quality assurance.
NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines: Head and Neck Cancer
NCCN 2008, 107 pages (pdf 656K). To download the pdf
please click here
The National
Comprehensive Cancer Network’s NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™
are one of the most comprehensive and most frequently
updated clinical practice guidelines available in any
area of Medicine. Covering 97 percent of all patients
with cancer and updated on a continual basis, the NCCN
Guidelines are developed through an explicit review of
the evidence integrated with expert medical judgment
by multidisciplinary panels from NCCN Member Institutions.
Treatment recommendations are specific and are implemented
through performance measurement. NCCN Guidelines Panels
address cancer detection, prevention and risk reduction,
workup and diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.
Please visit the NCCN website to ensure you have the
latest treatment guidelines available, since they are
updated almost every year: (free
log in required to get to the guidelines) click
here
MedlinePlus
- Oral Cancer link
MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus
brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical
encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news. Please make
sure you check the MedlinePlus online for cervical cancer with an extensive,
constantly updated resource list. Please
click here
The Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
and the American Cancer Society (ACS) provide many
on-line cancer resources. The great advantage of these
organizations is that the information gets constantly
updated, reflecting the latest scientific findings.
On-line texts have an interactive dictionary where
you can click on terms that sound unfamiliar and get
an explanation in plain English. For people without
on-line access these materials can also be ordered
in the mail or by phone.
The CDC
is a leader in nationwide cancer prevention and control,
working with national organizations, state health agencies
and other key groups to develop, implement, and promote
effective cancer prevention and control practices.
The National Cancer Institute
(NCI)
is a component of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), one of eight agencies that compose
the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The National Cancer Institute coordinates
the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports
research, training, health information dissemination,
and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis,
prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from
cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and
the families of cancer patients.
NCI publishes a wealth of information
about cancer on the Web. To make it easier for you we
have provided direct breast cancer links from NCI below.
Lip
and Oral Cavity Cancer Treatment (PDQ®) (PDQ, as
it is commonly known stands for Physicians Data Query.
The "health professional" link is more scientific
and focuses on treatment options)
NCI’s booklet “What You Need
To Know About™ Oral Cancer” helps you to learn
oral cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and questions
to ask your health care provider. To read the publication,
constantly updated, online on the NCI website, please
click here
“What You Need To Know About™
Oral Cancer” NCI 2006, 53 pages (pdf 1MB). To download the
pdf file please
click here
MedlinePlus - Oral Cancer
link
Please make sure you check the MedlinePlus online for cervical cancer with an
extensive, constantly updated resource list. Please
click here
American Cancer Society (ACS)
is
the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization
dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem
by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering
from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and
service. For Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer: Treatment
Options by Stage from ACS please
click here
For a list of the complete list of Guidelines,
from the American Cancer Society (ACS),
that are updated constantly, please
click here
