Expert says oral cancer is curable when presented early

A Maxillofacial Pathologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Abdul-Warith Akinshipo has said oral cancer is curable when patients present early.

He disclosed this in Lagos on Wednesday during a seminar held on oral cancer with the theme, ‘Improving Oral Cancer Awareness and Management in Nigeria” with the sub-theme ‘Artificial Intelligence in Oral Healthcare’.

He said that the seminar focuses on oral cancer, a debilitating disease for which the survival rate for any patient was very low.

The expert said that 50 per cent of patients who developed oral cancer would die in five years and that the seminar was meant to raise awareness both in the academic environment and in public.

“Most of the patients we see, 80 per cent come with advanced disease; that is, they come with a colossal lesion and tumour, which is avoidable.

“That is what we are trying to tell the public, it is avoidable, preventable and can be detected in time,” he said.

Dr. Akinshipo, who is also a Senior Lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, advised that if anyone had swelling or something in his mouth for more than two weeks, the person should see a dentist for a checkup.

He, however, noted that not all swellings in the mouth were cancers

He said the inspiration to focus on oral cancer was birthed when he lost someone dear to him.

According to him, he is also disturbed by its morbidity, adding that oral cancer awareness was poor and there was a need to improve on it and show people in the community what the disease is all about.

He said, “There is a need to show the community that there is a form of treatment. It can be removed and after removal, radiotherapy.”

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, confirmed that awareness about the disease was low.

He said that cancer was the leading cause of death worldwide, and oral cancer consists of between two and 10 per cent of the cases.

He said that unlike many parts of the body that may be hidden, the oral cavity is open.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the seminar organised by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, UNILAG was in collaboration with the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

It also reports that experts took different sessions on early diagnosis and prevention of oral cancers, current and future strategies, management of oral cancer in Nigeria, experience and challenges.

Other sessions include – ‘Role of artificial intelligence in oral healthcare’, ‘Artificial intelligence in the detection of OPMDs and oral cancer’ and ‘Introducing artificial intelligence tools for oral cancer susceptibility prediction and detection’.

(NAN)