Actors Michael Douglas and Blythe Danner are partnering with the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) on a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that stress the importance of oral cancer screening and early detection.
Douglas has completed successful treatment for advanced oral cancer, and Danner lost her husband to the same disease.
When found early, oral cancers have an 80% or better survival rate, according to the OCF. Unfortunately, most oral cancers are found in late stages, when the five-year survival rate plummets to about 30%, the foundation noted. Exposure to the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) virus, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is now the leading cause of oral cancers in the U.S., the OCF noted.
By increasing public awareness, the OCF hopes to educate the public about the risk factors, early signs, and symptoms of the disease.
