BE DIAGNOSED WITH ORAL CANCER THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES FROM THE AMERICAN
CANCER SOCIETY. OVERALL RISK
OF DEVELOPING ORAL CANCER IS
ABOUT ONE IN 60 FOR MEN AND
ONE IN 141 FOR WOMEN. DOCTOR
RUDY FERNANDEZ WITH UF HEALTH
IS JOINING US VIA ZOOM THIS
MORNING TO EXPLORE THIS. GOOD
MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR
HAVING ME. DOCTOR, WOULD YOU
EXPLAIN THE WARNING SIGNS OF
ORAL CANCER?
>> BUT TYPICALLY IT CAN PACE
OR NEAR MOUNT. THAT HAS THERE
FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS. COULD
BE PAINFUL. SOMETIMES YOU CAN
HAVE A LUMP IN YOUR THAT POPS
SO BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE MUSTN’T FORGET, IT CAN ALSO
BE SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE
ISLAND, A SORE THAT IS
PAINFUL. NONETHELESS IS
GROWING. AND SO THOSE TYPES OF
THINGS. IF YOU ARE AWARE OF
THOSE, YOU SEE ONE OF YOUR
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO HAVE
A LOOK
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: DOCTOR
FERNANDEZ, WE ACTUALLY HAVE
SOME PHOTOS AND SOME OF WE
ACTUALLY CANNOT SHOW ON
TELEVISION BECAUSE THEY’RE
QUITE DISTURBING. GROWTHS, FOR
EXAMPLE, ON ON ON THE TOM,
WHICH I WOULD THINK THAT MOST
PEOPLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY KNOW
THEY NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR. BUT
SOME, AS YOU MENTIONED, MAY
NOT BE QUITE AS OBVIOUS. ONE
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW KIND OF A
BLACK CIRCLE AROUND WHAT LOOKS
LIKE KIND OF A WHITE LINE
UNDERNEATH THE TONGUE. YOU
KNOW, I COULD SEE HOW IT IS.
WE SHOW MORE PHOTOS. I COULD
SEE HOW SOMEONE MIGHT THINK.
OH, THAT FEELING. I HAVE LIKE
THIS ONE. MAYBE THE ROOF OF
THE MOUTH BECAUSE YOU CAN’T
SEE IT NECESSARILY IN A MERE
OR MAYBE A SORE FROM EATING
SOMETHING. YOU IT’S FINE. IT
WILL JUST GO AWAY. BUT THAT’S
NOT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TO
TAKE.
>> RIGHT. I THINK OFTEN TIMES
PEOPLE TRY TO EXPLAIN AWAY
THOSE THINGS. AND
UNFORTUNATELY IT ALLOWS THE
CANCER TO GROW. SO IF YOU HAVE
THOSE ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT
YOU SEE THAT IS NOT COMMON
WITH ITS NOT WAS NOT THERE
BEFORE OR HE REALLY SHOULD
SOMEONE TO HAVE A LOOK AT
THEM.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO WE
MENTIONED THAT MEN ARE
DIAGNOSED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN
WOMEN. IT IS THERE A REASON
FOR THAT?
>> WELL, I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
THAT IS THE RISK FACTORS FOR
WORK HAS TO COME TO BE SMOKING
SUN EXPOSURE, A PARTICULARLY
FOR THE LNP’S, OBVIOUSLY AND
ALSO A VIRUS CALLED HPV OR
HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS. AND I
THINK IN GENERAL MEN TEND TO
HAVE THOSE RISK FACTORS THAN
WOMEN.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: YOU MENTION
LIPS. AND I THINK THAT THERE
ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T
REALIZE WE WE WE ARE
CONSTANTLY TELLING OUR VIEWERS
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING ON
SUNSCREEN. BUT LIP CANCER. IS
THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD YOU
DESCRIBE WHAT SOMETHING LIKE
THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND AND
DOES ORAL CANCER SPREAD
QUICKLY.
>> LIP CANCER COULD BE A
LITTLE ALL, SIR, A WHITE PATCH
AND YOU LET A MORE IT WAS THE
PART DOOR INSIDE THE LAB
ITSELF. SO IF YOU SEE
SOMETHING LIKE AND TRY NOT TO
EXPLAIN IT AWAY AS JUST I JUST
BIT MY TONGUE AND NOW IT’S
GROWING. OR BIT MY LIP RATHER.
SO YOU SHOULD REALLY IF YOU
HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF
YOU NOTICE OR IF YOU NOTICE
THOSE THINGS DON’T WANT YOUR
LOVED ONES. I THINK IT
SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE
CONCERNED AND HAVE YOU ON THE
DENTIST OR YOUR PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIAN. HAVE A LOOK AT WITH
RESPECT TO HOW FAST GROWS.
VARIES. YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE
A JEAN, A SMALL THAT ALSO THAT
TENDS TO HAVE WROTE THAT THEN
GOES INTO THE NECK AND YOU SEE
IS A A LUMP AND YOU OR
SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE A BIG
GROWTH THAT DOESN’T. SHOWING
THE PROGRESSION TOWARDS THE IT
DOES VARY AND ONE NOT TO BE.
SO THE WORRIED WELL, COULD AND
ONLY GOING TO SEE KERRY IF I
SEE SOMETHING THAT IS GROWN
RAPIDLY IT AND JUST BECAUSE
IT’S NOT GROWING RAPIDLY
SHOULDN’T GIVE YOU COMFORT. AS
I SAID BEFORE, ANYTHING THAT
IS NOT THERE BEFORE. THAT IS
NEW. THAT IS RIGHT. IT’S MORE
WHITE AND YOU TOOK OUT. YOU
SHOULD LOOK TO HAVE A LOOK
THAT BY PROFESSIONAL.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: DOCTOR LEE
FERNANDEZ WITH UF HEALTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND
WE WANT TO REMIND OUR VIEWERS
ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HPV