THERE are some cancer symptoms that most people are aware of.
Unusual lumps and bumps and unexplained fatigue are well-documented signs of the disease.
The voice may sound huskier or quieter, like when you have a cold
Having a husky voice is a lesser-known but common symptom of mouth cancer, which is on the rise in the UK.
Cases of the disease have surged by 12 per cent in the last year alone, the latest figures from the Oral Health Foundation (OHF) show.
According to Cancer Research, the voice may sound huskier or quieter, like when you have a cold.
This is especially the case if the cancer is near the back of your throat.
This can be a sign of hypopharynx cancer – a rare form of the disease.
There were 9,860 cases of mouth cancer in the UK in 2020/21 – up from 8,676 on the previous comparable year.
Deaths related to the disease are also on the up.
It killed over 3,000 people in 2021 – up 46 per cent from 2,075 a decade ago.
A health charity has said a shortage of NHS dentists could be driving a rise in mouth cancer deaths.
It said access to dentistry is in “tatters” and warned people may get diagnosed late because many cases are picked up during check-ups.
The number of NHS dentists in England is at its lowest level in a decade, with 90 per cent of practices not accepting new patients.
While the number of adults seen by NHS dentists in England over 24 months has fallen to 16.4million since the pandemic – compared to 22million pre-Covid.
Head and neck cancers are the eighth most common cancer in the UK.
Most cases are linked to smoking and alcohol misuse – but human papillomavirus (HPV) infection caught through oral sex has been linked to the rise.
Poor oral health might also be a precursor for the disease.
The 3 other red flag signs of mouth cancer to know
Mouth cancer can appear as a mouth ulcer which does not heal, the NHS says.
It can also present as red or white patches in the mouth, lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, and the roof of the mouth.
Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth, head or neck can also be a sign of the disease.
Dr Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, says getting into a routine of checking for signs of mouth cancer at home is crucial.
“Late diagnosis of mouth cancer is becoming all too common, and this will have a severe effect on a person’s quality of life and their chances of survival.”
When to see a doctor
A husky voice in the morning or after a heavy night is normal.
According to the NHS, it’s usually a sign of acute laryngitis (inflammation of the voice box), which happens because of a cold, a chest infection or overusing the voice.
You can usually fix it with some TLC and a few early bedtimes.
But a gruff voice can be a sign of something serious, like cancer or HPV, consultant laryngologist and airway surgeon Mr Chadwan Al Yaghchi told The Sun.
“Anyone who has a horse of husky voice for another three weeks should see a doctor to get their vocal cords examined,” he explained.
Chances are, the huskiness will be down to “something benign” like a polyp or nodule on the vocal folds, he added.
These are non-cancerous growths which prevent your vocal cords (also called vocal folds) from vibrating normally. They can be removed through surgery.
“In rarer cases, it is a sign of a serious cancerous growth or HPV,” he added.