Abstract
Oral cancer is a rare cancer, but its incidence is on the rise, especially among men in their 60s. In addition, the number of women and young people affected by oral cancer has been recently increasing. Although the oral cavity can be inspected and touched not only by dental professionals but also by patients themselves, early detection of oral cancer is difficult, and 35.8% of patients have advanced cancer (stage 3 or 4) by the time they are referred to a major hospital.
It is necessary to increase public awareness of oral cancer and to raise the awareness of dental health care professionals. This paper describes the current status of oral cancer in Japan, the differences from the past, and introduces new oral cancer countermeasures. In more concrete terms, the spread of oral cancer screening activities, early detection trials using fluorescent observation, and the introduction of an oral navigation system.
