2 Feb 2017

This Saturday, millions of people around the world will unite to raise awareness and provide support for all those who have been affected by cancer. World Cancer Day is our opportunity to increase education around all types of cancer while also raising vital funds for life saving research.

By joining forces and working together, we will make a bigger impact in transforming the lives of millions who are affected by cancer and for this year's World Cancer Day, we are asking you to do your part by shouting about mouth cancer.

One of the many devastating consequences of mouth cancer is that, for many, the disease restricts and impacts on the ability to speak. As a result, we are urging you to help us communicate and be their voice by spreading awareness of this terrible disease. 

As long-time campaigners for mouth cancer action, we are asking you to share these facts about the disease any way you can. Let's get people talking more about mouth cancer and together we can help transform the landscape of this appalling disease:

1. Mouth cancer cases in the have jumped massively by 68% in the last 20 years, making it one of the fastest increasing cancers in the UK.
2. Mouth cancer patients and survivors often lose the ability to speak, eat, drink and even breath.
3. In the UK, one person is told they have mouth cancer every 45 minutes.
4. Mouth cancer claims more than twice as many lives than testicular and cervical cancer combined.
5. Mouth cancer takes more lives every year than road traffic accidents on Britain's roads.
6. Excessive use of alcohol is linked to more than a third of mouth cancer cases in men and a fifth in women.
7. Mouth cancer is diagnosed in more than twice as many men as women but more are being diagnosed than ever before.
8. Survival rates based on a late diagnosis are as little as 50% but chances our chance to beat the disease drastically increase to 90% with an early diagnosis.
9. Heavy drinkers and smokers raise their risk of developing mouth cancer by 35 times.
10. Although most cases of mouth cancer are linked to lifestyle absolutely anybody can develop the disease.
11. That's why it's important to look out for the early signs and symptoms of mouth cancer. These include: ulcers which do not heal within a three weeks, red or white patches and any unusual lumps or swellings.
12. Your dentist will check for signs of mouth cancer during every check-up, its vital you visit your dentist regularly.

Share these facts through social media using the hashtags #WorldCancerDay and #WeCanICanand we urge you that if you are in doubt you should get checked out by your dentist or doctor as soon as possible.

Please help give those you have their voices taken away from them an opportunity to be heard.