Oral cancers, of the tongue, gums, lips or mouth, are in the rise around the world. And the sad fact is that most oral cancers are preventable. According to the American Cancer Society ,

Most oral cancers could be prevented if people did not use tobacco or drink heavily.
Quitting tobacco and limiting alcohol use sharply reduce any risk of developing oral cancer, even after many years of use. Many oral cancers may be found early by a combination of routine screening examinations by a doctor or dentist and by self-examination.

Another cause of oral cancer, of the lips, is the sun. Just as we protect our skin from the harmful rays, we need to protect our lips, using lip balms that contain sun block. This isn’t just for the summer either – if you’re an avid outdoor winter sports person, the sun can be particularly hard on your lips as it bounces off the snow.

The use of alcohol and tobacco and its relationship to oral cancer shouldn’t be surprising, but what may surprise many people is the effect of HPV (human papillomavirus) on the rising incidence of oral cancer. This risk is even higher if combined with smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.

HPV is the same virus that may cause women to develop cancer of the cervix. The virus has been the target of a vaccine that was recently developed, targeting young women who are not yet sexually active.

Fight Oral Cancer website

The Fight Oral Cancer website was started by Arma Shahidi Fitzgerald after the death of close friend to the disease. According to her homepage,

This cancer kills more people than breast cancer. Over 480,000 cases of oral cancer occur each year worldwide, over 34,000 cases each year in the U.S. When compared to other cancers very little has been done to inform the public on how they can avoid the ravages of oral cancer.

Learning about oral cancer

So, if this cancer is becoming so common, why don’t we hear more about it? It isn’t getting the same attention as breast cancer or prostate cancer but who knows why it’s still in the shadows. But, with sites like Fight Oral Cancer and by spreading the news about it, the awareness may increase and people may become more possibility of oral cancer.

Symptoms

The symptoms of oral cancer may be confused with something else in the mouth, but if you notice anything unusual, it’s best to contact your dentist or doctor to have it checked as soon as possible. With early treatment, most oral cancers have a good prognosis.

According to the MayoClinic.com, the symptoms of oral cancer include:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• A lump or thickening of the skin or lining of your mouth
• 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
• Difficult or painful swallowing
• Sore throat
• Feeling that something is caught in your throat

Don’t be worried about feeling foolish if everything checks out ok. When it comes to cancer, it’s best to err on the side of caution, because the alternative is to have the disease and let it spread.

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Image: FightOralCancer.com

Post from: Blisstree

One Person, Every Hour of Every Day…

BurdaStyle is inviting sewers and seamstresses from all over the world to sew a pink or black bow-tie and donate it to the ACS fundraising “Pink & Black Gala”.

“We are asking out members and friends to donate a handmade bow ties to be auctioned off at the ACS Pink and Black Tie Gala on May 7th 2009.

Want to help? Download the David Bow Tie pattern Sew it up in pink and/or black fabric and send it to us here at BurdaStyle by May 4th 2009.

BurdaStyle 325 Gold st Suite 201 Brooklyn, NY. 11201

If you would like to include a personal story with your bow tie you are more than welcome to. Write it on a note card, that way, whoever wears your bow tie will know the story behind it.

We are so excited to be helping out with this great cause and we are very happy that our members can be involved.”

image: BurdaStyle

Post from: Blisstree

Sew For a Great Cause

Here’s the YouTube video forwarded by Paul McGee (thanks again Paul!).

God bless the generous hearts for the donation and most especially, God bless Hope Lodge!

All cancer patients need all the help they can get.

Post from: Blisstree

Hope Lodge Received $4 Million Gift

The American Cancer Society is right of course that the success of the said community depends on the contribution of people with cancer stories to tell.

In an email that Carri Bao sent to me, said:

Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings our community together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early. The Society helps people with cancer right here in our own community. And our efforts at Relay For Life can help the American Cancer Society to keep working toward a cancer-free future.

I want to invite you to show your support in the ongoing fight against cancer by joining us for this year’s event. Please click on the link below for more information, including details on the inspirational Survivors’ Lap and the moving Luminaria Ceremony. We hope to see you there! If you can’t join us, will you please visit the site and make a donation to support our efforts? Either way, you will make a real difference in the lives of people facing cancer and in the lives of the people who love them. Thank you

Hey, check it out! There’s no harm in sharing your story. Knowing that you are not alone will give you hope. Besides, we all need the hope we can get: cancer or otherwise.

Post from: Blisstree

Relay For Life at SharingHope.tv

Pretty much like YouTube, ACS has launched its own, cancer specific, video and picture sharing site called SharingHope.TV.

SharingHope.tv allows users to create an account and upload video, audio, photos and artwork in order to tell their stories of cancer in ways that work best for them. Visitors to the site can view the content, share what they like with others, or find hope and inspiration for their own fight against cancer.

Cancer survivors and their loved ones are already avid users of online community Web sites, and with SharingHope.tv, the American Cancer Society hopes to engage new and existing users of online media. “Many people share their stories of cancer on Web sites like You Tube, Flickr, and personal blogs.

Now they have a chance to come together in a single online community, with an organization and an audience that really cares about cancer,” said David Neff, American Cancer Society High Plains Division director of web and interactive strategy.

Hey do check it out! Please go to www.sharinghope.tv or you can read the full press release.

Wow. Isn’t that something?!

Post from: Blisstree

SharingHope.TV: Like YouTube From ACS