- Avoid the use cancer causing agents such as tobacco, areca nut, smoking, alcohol. (Tobacco cessation clinic)
- Avoid extremely hot and spicy food.
- Maintain a good oral hygiene. Visit your dentist if you have sharp tooth or an ill-fitting denture that is constantly irritating the mucosa.
- Avoid multiple sexual partners and practice safe sex. Ask your doctor about HPV vaccine.
- Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables which is protective against oral cancerous and precancerous lesions. Foods protecting against oral cancer include fish, pulses, and buttermilk. Foods protecting against oral pre-cancer are fibers, tomatoes, and those containing vitamin C, iron, copper, zinc, and other micronutrients. Turmeric contains curcumin which is known to have cancer-protective properties.
- Visit your doctor immediately if you notice any of the danger signs mentioned above.
- Do regular self-mouth examination in front of a mirror (especially in high ris population like tobacco users), checking all the parts of the oral cavity, looking for any abnormality.
- Cancer prevention also includes preventing the conversion of a pre-cancerous lesion into cancer. If you already have a red or white patch in the mouth (pre-cancerous lesions), your doctor may prescribe you medications containing retinoids,Vitamin E, curcumin. (Chemoprevention)
Oral cancer is preventable and early detection helps in better outcomes.