Kristie CerutiAn alarming increase in oral cancer rates was topic of a presentation in November, at the ADA 2015 annual meeting, especially for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer and among people without traditional risk factors, such as smoking and drinking.
Herbert Bader, DDS, a lecturer in periodontology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine mentioned a 60% increase in oral cancer among adults older than 40, DrBicuspid.com’s Donna Domino reported.
Although there are more than 100 HPV strains, only four — 13, 16, 18, and 32 — have been associated with cancer; usually cervical, but to a growing degree, oral. HPV infections are now the most highly contagious sexually transmitted disease (STD), Dr. Bader said.
At that time, Poison drummer Rikki Rockett (shown with the band in 2012) had not yet revealed that doctors had diagnosed him with oral cancer. The prognosis is good, he told radio DJ Eddie Trunk (via Blabbermouth) on Monday.
The rocker had kept his diagnosis secret until now to maintain his privacy and to see how he dealt with the treatment.
He now shares his story and his initial reaction and discusses the positive outlook he maintained throughout: “…I wanna beat it, so I’m just gonna go head first into this,'”, Rikki Rockett told Rolling Stone’s Kory Grow in an interview today.
According to a report at Rolling Stone.com @rollingstone:
The drummer first learned of his ailment after growing sick in June, feeling like he had a sore throat and a cold. Eventually, a doctor at USC discovered a tumor at the base of his tongue, similar, Rockett said, to Michael Douglas, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson and Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. Another doctor at USC told Rockett that he’d contracted a “hell of a cancer” but one that was “very treatable.” The cause, he said, was HPV.
During the November ADA conference, Ellen Gambardella, CDA, RDA, another presenter, said dentists should ask patients if they have noticed any unusual hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or a feeling of having something caught in their throat. If their tonsils are inflamed, dentists should also ask for how long and if they’ve had any sinus or allergy issues.
Read more about the role of a dentist in screening and detection: https://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=318814
Earlier this year, PeriRx LLC launched a test that uses DNA in saliva to test suspicious lesions or oral mucosal abnormality. SaliMark OSCC is available online from the nation’s largest privately owned dental distributor, Benco Dental, among other sources.
Read more about it at: https://thedailyfloss.com/2015/08/29/will-a-dna-test-help-defeat-the-scourge-of-oral-cancer-perirx-prepares-for-battle/
During the 91st annual Greater New York Dental Meeting, the event’s organizers hosted the first International Oral Cancer Symposium on Saturday, November 28, for all registered Greater New York Dental Meeting attendees. Benco Family Foundation, and members of the dental community, were among sponsors of the all-day event, entitled “The Science and Practice of Treating Head and Neck Cancer,” which provided a comprehensive overview of the current surgical and medical management of oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients.
“The Benco Family Foundation feels the Oral Cancer Symposium is important to raise public awareness and educate our doctors to identify and diagnose the early signs of mouth cancer and then guide patients to proper treatment,” said Rebecca Binder, the foundation’s executive director.
