MOUTH CANCER SURVIVOR STEPS OUT FOR CHARITY
12:00 NOON SATURDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER 2015, HYDE PARK, LONDON
TUESDAY, 31ST MARCH
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Interviews Available: Mouth Cancer Walk Participant – George Wyatt
To set up an interview please call Media Ambitions on 0208 940 2222.
“This year the Mouth Cancer 10KM Awareness Walk celebrates its 10th anniversary and we plan to make it the biggest and most successful walk to date. Put the date in your diaries and help us make a difference this September.”
Founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi
George Wyatt, 40, a healthcare professional from Darlington is taking part in the 10th annual Mouth Cancer 10KM Awareness Walk for the 9th time. The walk, which is taking place on Saturday, 19th September 2015 in London’s Hyde Park, is designed to raise much needed awareness and funds to combat all head and neck cancers.
As a long standing supporter of the charity and a mouth cancer survivor, George understands the importance of spreading messages about the disease that can strike anyone at anytime.
He was diagnosed with tongue cancer in June 2004 when he found a white spot which then turned into a small growth. A month later he underwent a surgery to remove half of his tongue and reconstruct it with a flap from his left wrist. Following the surgery, he had 20 radiotherapy sessions before he was given the all-clear.
In the UK there are more than 8000 people diagnosed with mouth cancer every year and around 60,000 people will be diagnosed over the next decade. Worldwide, the disease affects 650,000 people a year and is the 6th most common type of cancer.
Mouth cancer can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips and adjacent areas like throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus and other sites in the head and neck area. It has a worst ratio of deaths to cases compared with skin, cervical, breast and prostate cancers and affects more men than women.
Founder, Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi says “Mouth Cancer is on the increase around the world. We strongly urge everyone to join us in increasing awareness of this cancer. The Mouth Cancer Foundation 10 KM Awareness Walk is a great way for mouth cancer patients, their families and friends, the public and health professionals to come together and stand up against the disease.”
To take part in the Mouth Cancer 10KM Awareness Walk, please visit www.mouthcancerwalk.org. To sponsor George, visit http//uk.virginmoneygiving.com/GeorgeWyatt.
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For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Elizabeth Laverack or Izabela Nair
Media Ambitions - 020 8940 2222
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Mouth Cancer Foundation – www.mouthcancerfoundation.org
The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a registered charity no. 1109298.
The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a charity solely dedicated to supporting people affected by head and neck cancer. Support can play a pivotal role in meeting the psychosocial needs of patients. The Mouth Cancer Foundation’s online and telephone support service has given head and neck cancer patients and families the opportunity to articulate the consequences of their cancer journey and communicate their shared experiences. It is vital that the charity continues to provide free accessible information resources and ensure Mouth Cancer Foundation support is provided to those that need them.
About Mouth Cancer
Ø Around 60,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with mouth cancer over the next decade.
Ø In the UK, 7,700 people were diagnosed with Mouth Cancer in 2011.
Ø Tobacco use is still considered the main cause of mouth cancer. According to the World Health Organisation, up to half of current smokers will die of a tobacco-related illness – including mouth cancer.
Ø Drinking to excess can increase the risk of mouth cancer by four times. Those who smoke and drink are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.
Ø Mouth cancer is twice more common in men than in women, though an increasing number of women are being diagnosed with the disease.
Ø Age is another factor, with people over the age of 40 more likely to be diagnosed, though more young people are now being affected than previously.
Ø Poor diet is linked to a third of all cancer cases.
Ø Experts suggest the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), transmitted through oral sex, could overtake tobacco and alcohol as the main risk factor within the coming decade.
Ø Cancers can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, and adjacent areas like the throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus, and other sites in the head and neck area.
Symptoms include:
Ø An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks.
Ø A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks.
Ø A difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue.
Ø A numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
Ø A feeling that something is caught in the throat.
Ø A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks.
Ø An unexplained loosening of teeth with no dental cause.
More information about Mouth Cancer is available at the Mouth Cancer Foundation web site www.mouthcancerfoundation.org or by emailing