A Professor of Oral Pathology at the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Bamidele M. Kolude, yesterday revealed that there is no known cause for oral cancer, adding that mouth cancers are preventable with regular oral screening processes, accurate early diagnosis with appropriate equipment and manpower, and with the inclusion of molecularly targeted therapies that offer a better treatment outcome than the conventional combination therapy for mouth cancers.
Kolude made this known while presenting UI 519’s inaugural lecture titled, “The Trial and Tribulations of Orofacial Cancers: Will Molecular Targeted Therapy Triumph?”
Speaking further on oral cancer, the Professor advised that individuals do daily self-examination for lumps or colour changes in their mouths, go for a check-up at the dental clinic and visit a dentist every six months for a professional checkup.
He said lifestyle changes that avoid social risk habits such as tobacco use (smoking, snuffing, or chewing), sedentary lifestyle, occupational exposures, or consumption of high-risk diets should be discouraged. In contrast, consuming food rich in antioxidants such as fruits, vegetables, phytonutrients, fibres and regular active exercise should be encouraged.
He called for a downward review of the cost of investigations and treatment of precancerous and cancerous lesions in our health facilities and the inclusion of all cancer care under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
He also suggested that the National Cancer Institute should be made available in each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. These centres, he said, should advance community campaigns on awareness of early symptoms and signs of cancers and also have functional, well-equipped molecular laboratories.
