Conversations about mouth ulcers are an “important opportunity” for pharmacies to help tackle mouth cancer, according to the Oral Health Foundation (OHF).
The charity issued a call to action on October 30, saying that community pharmacy teams can “raise awareness and encourage timely assessment when people seek advice about mouth symptoms”.
It comes at the start of Mouth Cancer Action Month, which began yesterday.
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Some 11,000 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year, putting it among the ten most common cancers in the UK.
The OHF highlighted that mouth ulcers are a “common reason” for pharmacy visits, and said non-healing ulcers are “one of the most common early warning signs of mouth cancer”.
It added that a recent survey of 59 pharmacy staff found that more than half (54.2%) had patients enquire about mouth ulcers at least once a week, but only two in five (42%) UK adults surveyed knew that a non-healing mouth ulcer could be a possible mouth cancer symptom.
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The charity said it is “encouraging pharmacists to ask how long a customer has had the ulcer”, as anyone with an ulcer lasting longer than three weeks “should be advised to see a dentist or GP for assessment, in line with NHS guidance”.
It also said other early warning signs include “red or white patches and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or neck.
“These changes do not necessarily mean cancer, but they should be assessed by a dentist or doctor.”
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The OHF set out several measures pharmacy teams can take this Mouth Cancer Action Month, including briefing colleagues to recognise concerning symptoms, asking about ulcer duration, signposting patients to dentists and GPs early, offering appropriate advice about tobacco and alcohol and raising awareness of HPV vaccination.
It also asked pharmacies to support Blue Wednesday on November 18 by creating a blue display in the premises, wearing blue and sharing information about warning signs “through posters, pharmacy screens and social media”.
Blue Wednesday encourages people to do a 45-second self-check at home to spot early warning signs of mouth cancer.
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OHF president-elect Dr Cathie Brady said “someone asking for a mouth ulcer treatment may not realise that how long they have had it matters”.
“Asking that simple question can change the direction of the conversation,” she said.
She added that “community pharmacy teams can reach people who might otherwise put off asking for help” and said she “would encourage every pharmacy team to get involved” in Mouth Cancer Action Month.
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It comes as Ask Your Pharmacist week , a campaign run annually by the National Pharmacy Association, kicked off today.
And it follows Breast Cancer Now revealing to C+D last month that community pharmacists’ role in a new partnership between the charity and the Department of Health and Social Care “will be explored going forward”.
