NHS partners with Asda in the North West to put crucial cancer awareness messaging on toothpaste and mouthwash

The NHS and Asda are teaming up to provide vital advice on millions of toothpaste tubes and mouthwash bottles encouraging people to contact their GP or dentist if they notice any potential symptoms of mouth cancer.

From this month, Asda’s own brand of oral hygiene products will now feature NHS advice in over 500 Asda stores across the country and online. The guidance will be clearly displayed on the packaging, along with a link to more detailed information about mouth and throat cancer on the NHS website.

The aim of the partnership is to raise awareness of symptoms that could indicate cancer, such as an ulcer that lasts for three weeks or more, and encourage people to contact their GP or dental practice and get checked as early as possible.

Symptoms of mouth cancer also include a white or red patch in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks, a lump or swelling in the mouth, jaw, or neck that lasts for more than three weeks, and difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving the jaw or tongue. 

Numbness in the tongue or other areas of the mouth, a sensation of something being stuck in the throat, a chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists for more than six weeks, and unexplained loosening of teeth can also be possible signs of cancer.

While most of these symptoms are common and can be caused by other conditions, getting checked as soon as possible is vital as early detection gives the best chance of successful treatment.

Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England North West said: 

“This is a great opportunity for the NHS to work with a national supermarket brand to put health

messaging on oral hygiene products, with the aim of encouraging thousands more people to be aware of the signs of mouth cancer, so they can spot new or unexplained changes that might be cancer symptoms early, and contact their GP or dental practice for checks if concerned.

“I want to urge everyone to be aware of the signs, and if you’re concerned about a symptom to get checked out early, it could save your life.”

The new NHS partnership has been launched on World Head and Neck Cancer Day today (27th July) and comes as the health service continues to urge young people to consent to having the HPV vaccine, which can help reduce the risk of cancers caused by HPV including mouth cancer.

The vaccine is offered on the NHS to all children aged 12 to 13 (school year 8) and is also available for free on the NHSfor all girls and women under 25 and boys born after 1 September 2006.

Figures from the Mouth Cancer Foundation show that it is the eighth most common type of cancer in the UK, with over 11,700 new cases diagnosed annually. The disease is twice as common in men as in women, and nearly eight in ten cases (78%) occur in individuals over the age of 55.

Sam Dickson, Asda Vice President for Commercial Strategy, Operations & Own Brand, said:

“We’re proud to launch this collaboration with the NHS by putting mouth and throat cancer awareness on our own brand oral hygiene products including mouthwash and toothpaste.

“Asda sells over 2 million of these everyday items each year, so making this small change to our packaging means we can make a big difference in encouraging shoppers to be more aware and to highlight what they should do if they find any new or unexplained changes.”

Steve Overend, 66 from Runcorn in Cheshire, was diagnosed with mouth cancer just weeks after noticing he was struggling to open his jaw in 2020.”

After three rounds of chemotherapy and seven weeks of radiotherapy, he’s been cancer free for the last three years.

Steve said:

“My cancer was quite advanced, so my radiotherapy was tough, and I still can’t really eat much solid food, but the doctor told me that if I hadn’t had the treatment, I wouldn’t have survived another year.

I think what the NHS and Asda is doing is excellent. Anything that can be done to help someone recognise what they’ve got before it needs difficult treatment is worth it.”

Steve now aims to live life to full, and said: “I have a bucket list I want to complete. Food can be a struggle sometimes, but I try to focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t and I’ve even started a YouTube channel, The Rocking Soup Chef, with all my soup recipes to help others that might struggle with solid food”.

President of the Mouth Cancer Foundation and Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon, Mahesh Kumar said:

“Early detection is key in the fight against mouth cancers to save and improve lives. Any cancer caught early usually incurs a less invasive treatment plan. It is incredibly important to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms among the general public.

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