Oral cancer cases in the U.K. are expected to rise by more than 20% over the next 15 years, according to The International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Approximately 8,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed each year in the U.K. by 2030, an increase of 23% compared with 2008, the agency said.
Mortality rates for head and neck cancer are also set to increase to more than 2,700, nearly 29% higher than the 2,134 deaths recorded for this cancer in 2008.
Nigel Carter, BDS, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, urged awareness and changes in lifestyle choices, noting that young people and women are increasingly at risk.
He also urged U.K. citizens to sign a petition closing a National Health Service loophole that currently does not guarantee free restorative care for mouth cancer patients.
