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The Clifton Health Department and Hackensack Meridian Health will be offering a FREE Oral Cancer Screening for Clifton and Little Falls residents on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 4:00 pm-6:30 pm at the Clifton Health Department, located at 900 Clifton Avenue, 2nd
Floor.
Appointments are REQUIRED; please call 973-470-5773 to schedule your appointment.
An examination of the lips, gums, mouth, and throat for sores, lumps, and other early warning signs of oral cancer will be conducted during this screening.
Oral cancer affects the lips, tongue, mouth, and throat. It impacts nearly 30,000 people each year, claiming the lives of about 8,000 individuals annually. It is approximately twice as common in men as in women and the likelihood of developing oral cancer increases with age. The major risk factors for oral cancer are tobacco use and alcohol abuse, which account for about 75% of all oral and pharyngeal cancers in the United States. Your risk for oral cancer also depends on how much tobacco or alcohol is consumed; heavy smokers who smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day are 24 times more likely to develop oral cancer than people who do not smoke.
Signs and symptoms for oral cancer include a mouth sore that doesn’t heal, a white or reddish patch on the inside of your mouth, loose teeth, poorly fitting dentures, tongue pain, jaw pain or stiffness, difficult or painful chewing or swallowing, sore throat, a feeling that something is caught in your throat, weight loss, and constant bad breath.
Although the majority of oral cancers occur in individuals 62 years of age and older, an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with the disease. In its earliest, most treatable stages, oral cancer may be painless and go unnoticed. An oral cancer exam can help detect oral cancer in its earliest stages when treatment will be most effective. In addition to oral cancer screening, other tips for improving your oral health and preventing oral cancer are to minimize or avoid smoking or other tobacco use, minimize or avoid alcohol use, practice good oral hygiene, and have dental problems corrected as soon as possible.
The Clifton Health Department is a contractual health agency serving the Township of Little Falls.
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press release via: Layal Helwani, Health Educator
