Why Tony Gwynn Speaks Out Against Smokeless Tobacco

A few weeks ago, San Diego residents and baseball fans everywhere mourned the loss of Padres’ star Tony Gwynn. While it is no doubt a tragic shame that such a legendary baseball player’s life has been so ruthlessly cut short, even Gwynn himself attributed his death to a very avoidable cause: mouth cancer, caused by smokeless tobacco.

According to USA Today, Gwynn had spoken out against the use of smokeless tobacco in baseball in a taped segment of an informational video that the MLB plans to use this year. The Hall of Famer believed he had developed mouth cancer because of his years long habit of chewing tobacco.

Oral cancer is a very serious disease, and if not caught in the early stages, a very deadly one. It’s also a very avoidable one. Oral cancer is not hereditary; rather, it is caused by chewing tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol, HPV (human papillomavirus) and conditions of the mouth, such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia, which are consequences of any of the above.

As we mentioned earlier, mouth cancer CAN be deadly, IF it’s allowed to progress past its initial stages. However, if it’s caught early on, it’s easily treatable. Unfortunately – for Gwynn and all others who suffered from oral cancer – the disease isn’t very easily diagnosed in the early stages.

Individuals who suffer from mouth cancer will typically show no signs until it’s too late. At this point, they’ll notice the following…

·     A sore or ulcer in the mouth that just won’t go away

·     White patches in your mouth (leukoplakia)

·     Red patches in your mouth (erythroplakia)

·     A lump on the lip, tongue or in the mouth or throat

·     Unusual bleeding or numbness in the mouth

·     Pain when chewing or swallowing

·     Constant feeling of something caught in the throat

·     Loose teeth

·     Change in voice or speech problems

·     Weight loss

·     Lump in the neck

How is Oral Cancer Diagnosed Early On, Then?

It’s very difficult for even a doctor to diagnose oral cancer without running a full on CT Scan or MRI. And for the average individual looking at their mouth in the mirror? It’s downright impossible. The only individuals as of right now who can accurately detect oral cancer in its earliest stages in less than two minutes are dentists.

By merely swabbing the inside of your mouth with a cotton swab and reading your saliva, we can determine if there are any abnormalities that deserve further attention. If there are, we refer you to a doctor for a CT Scan or MRI, which will determine whether or not the cancer cells have spread to your lymph glands. This assessment is called “staging of the cancer,” the aim of which is to find out:

·     How much the tumor has grown

·     Whether the cancer has spread to local lymph nodes

·     Whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body

What are Treatment Options?

Like any other cancer, oral cancer can be treated with radiotherapy, surgery or chemotherapy. Which your doctor recommends all depends on the size and extent of your cancer.

Prognosis

As we said earlier: the outlook for oral cancer all depends on at what stage you are diagnosed. If you’re diagnosed early on, the prognosis is VERY good; however, if you are diagnosed in the late stages, it’s not so good…

Tony Gwynn’s case was a very unfortunate one, and we could not be more devastated by the outcome. However, just because it was too late for him does not mean it’s too late for you.

At Lakeshore Family Dentistry, we’ve made oral cancer screening a part of every check-up and cleaning. This way (if you keep up with your normal 6-month check ups) there is no way oral cancer cells will fly under the radar.

Visit http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/blog/post/be-your-own-advocatesave-your-own-life.html to see how we’re here to protect your health – and your life – today.

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