Mouth Cancer Awareness Day 2023 - 20th September

MHNC refers to cancers found in tissues of the mouth, head and neck. Over 700 cases of MHNC are diagnosed in Ireland every year. It mainly affects older people although more young people are being diagnosed now.  These cancers are more common in men than in women. MHNC rates have been rising both in Ireland and in most EU countries.

In contrast with other forms of cancer, MHNC survival rates have shown little improvement over the last 20 years. Many patients continue to present with advanced stage disease. As a result, only about 50% of patients diagnosed with this cancer can expect to be alive after 5 years. Patients are sometimes left with life altering changes to their appearance and their ability to speak, eat and swallow.

However, if diagnosed at an early stage, survival rates increase and treatment is more straightforward. This is why it is so important to make people aware of the risk factors and early signs of MHNC to reduce the burden of this disease for the Irish population.