Staying Well

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 43,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year alone, causing 8,000 deaths.Oral cancer is a group of cancers including mouth cancer, tongue cancer, tonsil cancer and throat cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 43,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year alone. Unfortunately, oral cancer has a high death rate because the cancer is typically discovered late in its development.Do you know the symptoms?The most common symptoms are lesions on your tongue or on your cheek. These can feel dense and look discolored. You might also notice sores within your mouth. It's important to note that canker sores usually only last a couple of days, so if the sore is persistent for more than a week, you should consult your physician.Risk factors for oral cancer are tobacco and alcohol use, sun exposure, the human papilloma virus (HPV) and if you have already had some other form of head or neck cancer.There are ways f