Kentucky ranks among highest in US for oral cancer rates

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky has one of the nation's highest rates of oral cancer.

Oral cancer is any cancer of the mouth, either on or under the tongue, gums or roof of the mouth. The most common symptom is a lesion or wound in the mouth that's firm and painful and doesn't go away after a few weeks.

Some oral cancers can be preventable. The main risk factor is smoking and the longer and heavier smoking habits, the higher a person's risk will be.

"When you're talking about lesions in the mouth that could be concerning for cancer, the earlier you catch something, the better the treatments are for it, meaning the less likely the cancer is to progress and also the less intense the treatment ends up being," said Dr. Paul Tennant with Norton Cancer Institute. "If you think about a tumor in the tongue, a small tumor in the tongue is more easily treated than a large tumor."

The American Association of Oral Surgeons said oral and throat cancers kill nearly one person an hour. Of those newly diagnosed, only about 60% will live longer than five years.

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