BDA publishes new oral cancer management strategy

The British Dental Association (BDA) has published a new management strategy designed to assist dental professionals in detecting and combating oral cancer.

Available online, the guide provides dentists with advice on risk factors associated with the disease and what advice should be provided to patients, as well as lifestyle issues that should be discussed with at-risk individuals.

The guide is being published in response to the high mortality rates among those diagnosed with the condition, which are greater than those associated with cervical, breast or prostate cancers.

It also notes that an increasing number of oral cancer patients are choosing to take legal action against dentists who have allegedly failed to detect their symptoms.

Professor Damien Walmsley, the BDA's scientific adviser, said: "While the treatment of many cancers is leading to an improvement in survival rates, the same cannot be said for oral cancer. Early detection is absolutely vital to addressing this situation."

The announcement coincides with Mouth Cancer Action Month, a 30-day awareness campaign being conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation throughout November 2010.