It’s one of the deadliest, but can we prevent it?

Oral cancer is a cancer with a high mortality rate; in fact, it is (used to be) the sixth deadliest cancer in history. Unfortunately, this is not widely known, particularly in Indonesia. During her career, Dr. Elizabeth has tried to raise awareness on this deadly disease, as the government has not implemented a nation-wide program similar to what it has done for other types of cancer in Indonesia. With a national program on oral cancer, hopefully every citizen is aware of the symptoms, prevention, and what to do if pre-cancer is detected.

Visiting the dentist is all that is required to diagnose pre-cancer. The dentist would request 90 seconds of mouth opening and would be able to identify the symptoms. At this stage, there is a significant possibility that it could be prevented before it worsens, if the appropriate and less expensive treatment is administered. The primary determinant of a patient’s likelihood of developing cancer depends on the patient’s geographic location. This is associated with the patient’s location and lifestyle. For instance, if the patient is from the United States, alcohol would be the primary factor. If the patient is from Indonesia, smoking would likely be the primary factor. This cancer can also be spread by the human papillomavirus, which is more prevalent in Australia. This cancer is transmitted most through unprotected sexual intercourse and can also transmit other cancers, such as cervix cancer.