Oral cancer risk spurs action

Older men in the Leichhardt area are at an increased risk of oral cancers, according to research presented by the Leichhardt Seniors Council.

The findings suggested this was a long-term trend, not a temporary aberration. It is thought to be primarily linked to high rates of smoking and alcohol consumption in the Inner West.

From 2004-2008, 39 known cases of head and neck cancer were confirmed within the Leichhardt local government area, responsible for eighteen deaths. These figures are above the national average, according to the Council.

“This goes against the general trend in NSW, where the rate of these cancers is dropping,” a spokesperson said.

“The frontline of early detection is dentists, who are trained to spot suspicious lesions that might be an early sign of these cancers.”

Leichhardt Council will write to the Federal Minister for Health, now Tanya Plibersek after the recent cabinet reshuffle, and the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. It is believed Council will push for an expansion of the Medicare dental scheme, particularly for low-income earners.

The scheme has a murky history, described in commentary as “rort-prone” and “scandal-ridden”. Ms Plibersek has committed to a major reform of the policy.

“If you’re a millionaire, you can get $4250 worth of treatment, but if you’re poor and don’t have a chronic health condition you can’t get that sort of treatment,” she told The Australian.

The Seniors Council has also formed a Working Party to investigate and make recommendations concerning the abnormally and persistently high incidence rates of head and neck cancer among older males in the Leichhardt area.

Oral cancers are particularly devastating, often diagnosed late and with a poor survival rate. Last Friday, the celebrated British-American journalist Christopher Hitchens died of esophageal cancer, at the age of 62.