Self checking for cancer – The Sun highlights the importance

Our Chief Awareness Officer Michelle Vickers was interviewed in July for a Sun newspaper article, timed to coincide with World Cancer Awareness Day, that highlights how our 60 second check could save your life. The interview is all part of Oracle’s #headneckcheck awareness campaign.

“By familiarising yourself with your body and paying attention to any changes, such as lumps, sores, or persistent symptoms like a sore throat or difficulty swallowing, you can identify potential signs of cancer at an early stage” says Michelle “Early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes and can save lives”

THE AT-HOME MIRROR TEST

Find a large mirror with good lighting, then get as close as you can to it.

“Look at the back of your mouth. Stick out your tongue and move it from side to side.”

“Don’t forget to look underneath your tongue too.”

Next, it’s time to assess the health of your neck by feeling under and around your jaw. This area can sometimes be a bit lumpy, especially if you’ve had a cold or other illness recently, so learn what’s normal for you.

If you notice any of the following newly-developed signs and symptoms, and you’ve had them for over three weeks, speak to your GP:

• Persistent mouth ulcers or patches in the mouth or on the lips
• Persistent sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing or painful swallowing
• Hoarseness or a change in voice
• Persistent cough
• Lump or swelling in the neck, jaw area, nose or throat (with or without pain)
• Earache or ear pain

“A mouth check every month can really make a difference,” Michelle said.

“If you have any concerns or notice anything that doesn’t go away for three weeks, it is important to speak with a doctor or dentist to get checked out.

“The earlier you can catch cancer, the better your chances of successful treatment and recovery.

“If you look at other cancers as a comparison point, early detection rates for head and neck cancers are considerably lower than other cancers.”

“Early-stage diagnosis for combined head and neck cancers is around 13 per cent and we want this to be at 75 per cent.”

“Let’s work together to raise awareness of how to prevent these cancers and improve earlier diagnosis of disease.”

‘PREVENTION IS KEY’

Recognising these signs and symptoms is vital. But prevention is also key, and making several lifestyle changes can decrease your chance of developing cancer.

The key risk factors include:

• Quitting tobacco use (smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, and using snuff)
• Limiting alcohol intake
• Monitoring and taking care of your oral health
• Getting the HPV vaccine