Simplyhealth provides funding for oral cancer research

Simplyhealth has announced that it will be providing 185,000 pounds to the World Cancer Research Fund to support new research into cancers of the mouth.

The money will be used to finance a three-year University of Sheffield project examining the influence diet has on oral human papillomavirus – a risk factor for some forms of cancer – which is being undertaken in response to a rise in mouth cancer cases over the last decade.

In particular, this study will look at how a group of dietary compounds called methyl donors – found foods such as green vegetables, beans, eggs and cereals – can affect this risk, with around 700 patients to be involved in the trial.

Mark Day, spokesperson for Simplyhealth's charitable committee, said: "We are delighted to offer the World Cancer Research Fund and the research team at the University of Sheffield our support and we look forward to seeing the results of the project."

This comes in the same month that the company is providing sponsorship for the nationwide oral health campaign National Smile Month, via its dental subsidiary Denplan.