Once again my office staff and I set up a booth to do free oral cancer screenings at our local Relay For Life event. With much better weather than the last time, we more than doubled the number of exams performed, for a total of 52.

Once again, other than our being there, displaying my two large Oral Cancer Foundation banners and handing out our brochures, there was nothing to be found about oral cancer. I stopped the representative from the American Cancer Society (a very nice youing lady, I might add) and asked her why oral cancer is a stepchild. All around the track were signs about the different types of cancer (as there is every year) but did I see one with Oral Cancer on it? You all know the answer.

The answer is simple, "...the ACS seems to concentrate on the big 4 cancers", she said. How sad is that?

No matter how ticked off I am at the ACS, I'll continue to do these booths, because it provides a public service that no one else in my area is providing. The really sad thing is that of all the people that I spoke to at the event, I could count on one hand those that said they had ever had an oral cancer screening at their dental office.

Jerry

Jerry:

You are a great advocate for oral cancer. You are very good at spreading the word, keep up the good work.

I wondered why info on oral cancer was hard to find (luckily I found OCF right away). Now I understand how the ACS operates, thats really awful that their main focus is the big 4.

Christine

That's great Jerry. I wish I was up there to help you.