Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals (WHH) is offering free mouth cancer screenings next Wednesday.

This is as part of Mouth Cancer Action Month and the free screenings will take place at the Lovely Lane site.

They will be offered by the maxillofacial team on November 27 and will take place from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm.

Last year, more than 10,000 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer, with many unaware of the signs and symptoms.

The five-minute check will examine the soft tissue in your mouth and neck. It is not a dental check. 

No appointment is necessary, you just need to visit the maxillofacial and orthodontics Department, located in the Appleton Wing of Warrington Hospital.

Stephen Porter, hospital practitioner maxillofacial surgery at WHH, said: “We would encourage anyone to come into the department for a free check.

“We have been offering these free checks annually for more than 10 years and have seen lots of patients who have concerns which we have been able to look at and dismiss or offer follow up advice on. You don’t need to frightened or worried about seeking advice.

“Early diagnosis is very important to make sure you can get the correct treatment as quickly as possible.”

At the check the team will also offer advice on the causes of mouth cancer, ways to reduce your risk, how to check for unusual changes in the mouth and how to spot signs of mouth cancer early.

The free screenings are open to anyone, and free parking will be available to those attending.

Mouth Cancer Action Month is an annual initiative run by the Oral Health Foundation, which has taken place each November since 2009. It aims to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the condition and the symptoms that people should look for.

The symptoms to look out for are:

  • a feeling that something is caught in your throat
  • a numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth
  • a chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persist more than six weeks
  • an ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks
  • a lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than three weeks
  • difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving the jaw or tongue
  • an unexplained loosening of teeth with no dental cause

Mouth cancer is more common in those over 40, particularly men, but it is now affecting more younger people and women than ever before2. Worldwide, mouth cancer is the eleventh most common cancer, with the number of people being diagnosed growing by around a third in the last decade.

Risk factors for mouth cancer include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, over exposure to sunlight (which can increase the risk of cancer of the lips) and human papillomavirus (HPV) which can be transmitted by oral sex.

It is also important to have regular visits to a dentist, who will be able to do a dental check and oral cancer screening as part of their examinations.