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African American Men in Wayne County Have One of the Highest Rates of Oral Cancer in the United States

Delta Dental grant supports free oral cancer screenings

OKEMOS, Mich., (April 9, 2007) – Oral cancer is one of the most deadly and disfiguring forms of cancer. However, recent surveys and statistics reveal very low awareness levels of oral cancer among Michigan residents and that African American men in Wayne County, including Detroit, have one of the highest rates of the disease in the United States.

The week of April 16-22 has been designated National Oral Cancer Awareness Week. For several years, Delta Dental of Michigan (Delta Dental), www.deltadentalmi.com, has been on the forefront of increasing awareness of oral cancer.

According to statistics from the Michigan Department of Community Health, the incidence rate of oral cancer in Michigan (all races and genders) was 11.2 per 100,000 in 2002, and in Wayne County it was 12.8. In African American males in Wayne County, the incidence rate was 22.2 per 100,000. Forty-six percent of all deaths related to oral cancer in Michigan are clustered in Detroit/Wayne County. The city of Detroit, with nine percent of the state’s population, had 13.1 percent of all new oral cancer cases.

Statistics show that residents in Wayne County, and especially Detroit, had consistently lower percentages of oral cancer detected at early stages compared to the state. In Detroit, less than one-third of all oral cancers were detected at early stages.

“National Oral Cancer Awareness Week gives us a unique opportunity to continue our mission to get the word out about oral cancer and its unfortunate prevalence in Detroit and Wayne County,” said Dr. Jed Jacobson, senior vice president of professional services and chief science officer at Delta Dental. “Oral cancer is killing African American men in these areas at extremely high rates. This is unconscionable, and we need to step up our efforts to get the word out to dentists and patients alike about oral cancer and its signs and symptoms.”

Given the high incidence rates of oral cancer in Wayne County, through its philanthropic arm, the Delta Dental Foundation, Delta Dental has helped to fund the Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project (Project), www.detroitoralcancer.org, a program that provides free oral cancer screenings for Wayne county residents.

The Project is located at the Wellness Center, 2888 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit. Free oral cancer screenings are administered every Tuesday to Wayne County residents. University of Michigan professor Dr. Amid Ismail is director of the Project. More information about the Project and appointment times is available by calling 1-877-7-CHECKED.

Additionally, as another means to continue the fight against oral cancer, Delta Dental has adopted coverage of a diagnostic tool called the brush biopsy (manufactured by OralCDx Laboratories, www.oralcdx.com). Delta Dental is one of the first dental benefits providers in the United States to add coverage of the brush biopsy to its core group of covered services. The brush biopsy is quick, accurate involves little or no patient discomfort, allowing dentists to identify and analyze precancerous or cancerous cells and detect the disease at its earliest and most treatable stages.

Delta Dental recommends that people ask their dentist for an oral cancer exam each time they have a dental check-up.

Exams for oral cancer are quick, painless and involve an evaluation of the mouth, gums, throat and tongue. Should a dentist notice a suspicious lesion (an unexplained red or white spot), which are typically seen in about 10 percent of patients, the brush biopsy can be used to gather sample cells that are sent to a lab for analysis.

Signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:

• Red or white spots that appear on the gums, cheeks or under the tongue
• Swelling of the tongue or throat
• A lump in the mouth or neck
• Painful or difficulty swallowing or chewing
• Numbness in the mouth region
• Vocal hoarseness that lasts for an extended time
• Tiny marks that resemble canker sores
• Sores that bleed and don’t heal (in later stages)

Commissioned by Delta Dental, a recent EPIC-MRA 600-sample statewide survey of Michigan residents revealed that when respondents were asked to list three forms that cancer can take, not one person named oral cancer.

“The EPIC-MRA survey gave us some compelling information and reinforced what we knew in theory – that there is a very low awareness of oral cancer compared to
other cancers,” said Jacobson. “We need to change this reality, and Delta Dental will continue its commitment to raising awareness of oral cancer. In the process, I’m confident many lives will be saved.”

Oral cancer is most common in men, African Americans, adults over age 40, smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers. However, one out of four cases occur in individuals who do not have a recognized risk behavior such as tobacco or alcohol abuse. Other causes include too much sun exposure to the lips and poor diet.

Over the past several years, there has been an increase in the number of young people and women developing oral cancer who do not have traditional risk factors.

In addition to saving lives, early detection of oral cancer has the potential to significantly reduce medical treatment costs. Oral cancer is one of the most expensive forms to treat, with an advanced case costing upward of $200,000.

“We hope National Oral Cancer Awareness week will renew an interest in oral cancer among dentists and provide a catalyst for them to perform regular oral cancer exams on their patients,” said Jacobson. “Likewise, we encourage people to ask for an oral cancer exam each time they visit the dentist. With this approach, more cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed early when it’s in a treatable form, and we can all play our part in raising awareness of this preventable disease.”

For more information about Delta Dental and benefits of the brush biopsy, visit www.deltadentalmi.com.

For more information about the Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project, visit www.detroitoralcancer.org, or call 1-877-7-CHECKED (1-877-724-3253).

Delta Dental of Michigan, with its affiliates in Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee, are members of Renaissance Health Service Corporation, a family of companies that combined is one of the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2006, the enterprise paid more than $1.7 billion for dental care for more than 6.2 million enrollees. Offices are located in Okemos, Farmington Hills, and Grand Rapids, Michigan; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis Tennessee.

(Editor’s note: EPIC-MRA survey is attached. Dr. Jacobson and Dr. Ismail are available for interviews. Please contact Geoff Schwartz at (313) 567-5008, or Nikki Stephan at (313) 567-5029).

Sources: EPIC-MRA 600-sample statewide survey, Oral Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society, Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project, Michigan Resident Cancer Incidence and Death Files, Michigan Department of Community Health.