Improving Diagnoses of Oral Cancer

ORAL and pharyngeal cancer—cancer of the lip, tongue, pharynx and mouth—affects approximately 30,000 people annually. This disease claims the lives of almost 8,000 people each year, or about one person every hour. Oral cancer surgery can be very disfiguring and thus psychologically traumatic in a society that places a high value on physical appearance. Treatment of this condition also often results in severe loss of oral function, and chronic discomfort including difficulty in chewing, swallowing, and speaking. [Read more…]