Spot mouth cancer early - video transcript

Voiceover: Every day we use our mouths in dozens of different ways and while we make sure they look good on the outside, how many of us think about what’s happening on the inside? How many of us know about mouth cancer?

Man: I know nothing.

Woman: No, I don’t know anything about it.

Man: I do not know nothing about mouth cancer.

Man: No, I don’t.

Woman: You can get swellings...

Man: Not really no.

Woman: Little pimples...

Man: Nothing.

Woman: Soreneess, redness...

Man: Er no, nothing.

Woman: Discolouration...

Woman: She’s a nurse!

Woman: Marks in the mouth, ulcers, things like that. But I’m really not that sure.

Dr Chris Steele: In the UK, nearly 5,000 people a year are diagnosed with mouth cancer. Although it’s relatively rare, mouth cancer is on the increase and as with most cancers, it’s more common in the over-50s. but if it’s spotted early it’s easily treatable.

Voiceover: In this film, we’ll tell you about the early signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and you’ll meet people who’ve had mouth cancer and whose treatment has been a success. There are many common myths about mouth cancer.

Man: Myth - I don’t need to worry. I don’t have a lump in my mouth.

Fact: There are many signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and not all appear as a lump in the mouth.

Chris Steele: Typical signs of mouth cancer are an ulcer, a sore, a red or white patch in the mouth that lasts longer than three weeks. This could be on the gums, tongue, lips, other soft parts of the mouth, even if it doesn’t hurt. Other symptoms are a lump in the neck, difficulty in swallowing or a pain in the mouth.

Dr Jim McCaul: If you’re displaying any of these symptoms, the first thing to do is ask your doctor or your dentist to have a look in your mouth. They might be able to reassure you, but they’re much more likely to recommend that you’re sent along to see a doctor like me, to get something checked out.

Dr Pooja Jethwa: It’s essential to spot mouth cancer early. The earlier we can diagnose the mouth cancer, the earlier we can treat it and the faster we can refer you to a hospital to have treatment carried out.

Jim McCaul: An important message here is that by far the majority of people who have something like this checked out don’t actually have mouth cancer.

Woman: Myth: Mouth cancer can only be found by a dentist or a doctor.

Voiceover: Fact: It’s important that people are aware of what is normal for them so they can notice any small changes in the mouth.

Voiceover: Mike Donoghue is a professional magician from Durham. He was diagnosed with mouth cancer two years ago.

Mike Donoghue: I was shaving and I noticed a lump on my beck. It was quite large, about the size of maybe a golf ball. I had noticed something about a few weeks before I felt something and I assumed it was muscle and then I thought, possibly I should get this checked out. Mike went to see his GP who referred him to a hospital for some tests. The test results revealed the had cancer. I heard about lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, bowel cancer. I didn’t realise there was a thing called mouth cancer, to be honest with you. It wasn’t down to heavy drinking or smoking because I didn’t smoke and I’ve never been a heavy drinker. It was shocking news.

Voiceover: Mike was admitted to hospital to have the tumour removed, but because his cancer was diagnosed early, the surgery was less invasive.

Mike Donoghue: I’m a million miles further on than where I was a year ago. I’m not as tired as I was. I feel a lot better. And my voice is the best it’s been for a long time.

Voiceover: Mike’s cancer was easier to treat because he spotted that something was wrong and decided to get it checked out. He’s now able to lead a normal life. He’s back at work and he’s even up to his normal tricks again.

Mike Donoghue: It’s a happy ending for me and I’m still here. And it’s all because I went and got it checked out. And I’d encourage anyone who thinks they might have something not quite right to get it checked in their mouth.

Man: Myth - Only cigarette smokers get lung cancer.

Voiceover: Fact - Smoking significantly increases the risk of mouth cancer but non-smokers can develop mouth cancer too.

Jim McCaul: The main lifestyle risks associated with mouth cancer are smoking and drinking and especially doing both of those things together. Worldwide a huge risk factor for mouth cancer is using smokeless tobacco and chewing tobacco is what I mean. In certain parts of Britain, there are areas where people use that stuff a lot. And that’s called paan or gutkha. That’s a mixture of materials - it includes tobacco, and it includes betel leaf and often areca nut.

Pooja Jethwa: You can find that mouth cancer can occur in patients who may not smoke, drink or even chew paan or tobacco. One of the easiest lifestyle changes that people can make is to regularly see their dentist. Even if you don’t have any teeth, it’s still important to come and see your dentist.

Chris Steele: Your dentist is a professional healthcare individual who knows an awful lot about your oral cavity. Your dentist can spot mouth cancer:

Myth: I don’t have to go to the dentist regularly because I don’t have my own teeth any more.

Voiceover: It’s important to go to the dentist regularly as they are trained to spot the early signs of mouth cancer.

Voiceover: Carol Dunstone is a ceramic artist. She was diagnosed with mouth cancer ten years ago and needed major surgery on her tongue and throat to save her life.

Carol Dunstone: I first noticed that I had a problem on my tongue and it was painful and I had an ulcer, a small ulcer. I didn’t feel too happy about it because I thought it would just go away.

Carol went to the doctor who gave her a course of antibiotics. But her symptoms continued and while on a business trip to Japan, she started feeling unwell.

Carol Dunstone: I had ear-ache, I had throat-ache, I couldn’t put my head down on the pillow on one side without a problem. I felt tired. I was quite worried. But I had no idea at that time that it was going to be so serious.

Voiceover: After returning home, Carol went back to the doctor who immediately referred her to a specialist. Tests revealed that she had mouth cancer.

Carol Dunstone: I was absolutely stunned. I’d never heard of oral cancer before. I knew nothing about it. I had a third of my tongue removed and lymph glands as well from my neck and part of my shoulder. A great slab of muscle has gone from my shoulder too. I have lost a third of my tongue.

Carol Dunstone: Now, I feel really quite well. It’s now years later; my speech I think has improved quite a bit and I have a very full life. I think if anyone said that they had a change in their mouth - whether it’s an ulcer, or if they felt sore - I would urge them to see their doctor or their dentist, so they can check it out immediately.

Chris Steele: It’s very important to spot mouth cancer early, as with other cancers as well. But primarily because mouth cancer, if it’s caught early, we know the treatments are very successful.

Jim McCaul: Techniques to treat mouth cancer have improved a great deal in the last ten to twenty years. And in particular now, what we focus on is not just getting rid of the cancer problem but restoring people to exactly the quality of life that they had before the problem started. So by that, we’re talking about speaking and swallowing and facial appearance and going out in public and feeling comfortable with going on with their daily lives.

Voiceover: Carol and Mike’s stories show that mouth cancer is treatable but it’s vital to spot the disease early so the treatment has a better chance of success. If you have any of these symptoms, then see your doctor or dentist as soon as possible. It probably won’t be cancer but it’s better to be on the safe side. [List of symptoms appears]