Oral cancer - challenges, diagnosis and patient support

In this month's episode of the Theatre, head and neck surgeon Rafal Niziol, dental surgeon Caroline McCarthy and oncologist Chris Nutting come together to talk about oral cancer.  Together, they give an in-depth overview of the current state of the field, from challenges in diagnosis to opportunities created by new technologies and the importance of improving multidisciplinary collaboration.Oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer or mouth lining cancer, is one of the forms of cancer with the highest mortality rates – above 50% within 5 years of diagnosis for those diagnosed at an advanced stage. Research shows early diagnosis can have a critical impact on that rate, as early-stage cancers have a survival rate of around 90%. Yet, for a variety of reasons, oral cancer is still grossly underdiagnosed – with median delays between initial contact with a GP and specialist diagnosis as high as 106 days.At RCS and the Faculty of Dental Surgeons, we want our mission to advance dental surgical care for all patients to go hand-in-hand with practical action, and it is with this in mind that we set to tackle one of the biggest problems facing the profession. For more episodes and latest updates from the world of surgery, please feel free to subscribe to the Theatre on Spotify.