HOUSTON -- Every year, nearly 300,000 people are diagnosed with a form of oral or throat cancer worldwide. About 8,000 die. In order to educate the public about the disease, Local 2 launched Buddy Check: On Guard for Oral Cancer on Monday, in partnership with M.D. Anderson Hospital. This week, the station is airing a series of reports on the devastating disease on Local 2 at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

BUDDY CHECK ORAL CANCER M.D. Anderson: Oral Cancer Risks Symptoms Early Detection Treatment National Cancer Institute What You Need To Know About Oral Cancer The Oral Cancer Foundation Facts Patient Forum Research Cancer Information Service: (800) 4-CANCER FREE SCREENINGS March 19-20: Bayou City Art Festival Local 2 Exhibit Booth, Memorial Park 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. April 19: Annual Spring Community Health & Fitness Fair Missouri City Community Center, 1522 Texas Pkwy. 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. May 22: Mano a Mano Health Fair Houston Community College - Southeast, 6815 Rustic Ave. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. VIDEO 27 Percent Diagnosed With Oral, Throat Cancer Die Smokers Not Only Ones Susceptible To Oral Cancer Researchers Work To Ease Oral Cancer Cure's Pain Some Dentists May Be Missing Signs Of Oral Cancer DOWNLOAD BROCHURE Color Black & White Call (713) 792-6161 to get a brochure mailed to you.

'Buddy' Helps Brother Fight Oral Cancer

Buddy Check is all about being a good buddy and reminding those we love to take charge of their health.

For oral cancer survivor George Timmons, his buddy was his beloved brother, Local 2 reported Friday.

Timmons' younger brother, John, was diagnosed with oral cancer. He then saw something all too familiar in George's mouth -- a small white spot.

"When they found mine, it wasn't near as far along as his was and that is probably the only reason I am able to sit here and talk to you," George Timmons said.

The two self-proclaimed rednecks were fond of dipping tobacco.

"It's like you need to pay more attention, be more in tune with what is going on around you and what you are doing to yourself," he said.

John Timmons died in January, leaving behind a wife and 3-year-old daughter.

The treatments that could not save John were able to save George.

"They cut off half of my tongue. Like if you say, 'Stick out your tongue,' I can't do that," George Timmons said.

Doctors say that if a person is not paying attention to sores or lesions in his or her mouth, or knots and lumps in the neck, oral cancer can spread beyond the point of treatment.

"A lot of these lesions are completely painless and the patient is not even aware they are there," said Dr. Alan Stanton, a dentist.

Doctors said getting rid of the leading causes of this cancer, use of tobacco products and alcohol, can significantly reduce a person's chances of getting the disease.

"It's already showing impacts. We are seeing declines in mortality and incidence of these cancers because fewer people are smoking," said Dr. Erich Sturgis, a head and neck surgeon at M.D. Anderson Hospital.

It's something that George Timmons wants to see happen with smokeless tobacco.

He hopes his story will be enough to make others think.

"This is what can happen. You want to meet my brother's widow? You can see what can happen," George Timmons said.

Dentists Can Help Diagnose Oral Cancer

Dentists can often be the first line of defense in spotting oral cancer signs, but not all know what to look for, Local 2 reported Thursday.

Eva Torres asked her dentists about a white spot on her tongue.

"They told me just to use Listerine," she said. "I didn't worry about. I listened to the doctor."

The Listerine chasers continued, but when she became pregnant, even that did not work.

"It got bigger, maybe to the size of a quarter. It took over more than half my tongue," Torres said.

She had stage 4 oral cancer.

Dr. Rhonda Jacob, an M.D. Anderson dental oncologist, said dentists are on the front line when it comes to detection.

"A dentist sees a patient, from the old ADA standard, twice a year for cleanings, and certainly more than that if they are having dental work done. So a dentist is a prime candidate for doing these examinations," she said.

However, until recently, oral cancer was only a speck in the dental curriculum, which was a problem.

Another problem -- regular physicians don't always look in a patient's mouth.

"Interestingly, physicians may not look in the mouth because their examinations are short and problem-focused. And if it doesn't involve the oral cavity, the patient never opens their mouth," Jacob said.

"I was mad at the doctor. Well, they didn't know what it was, I guess. I didn't know. I was kind of mad. I could have probably fixed it before it got this bad," Torres said.

She had half her tongue removed, as well as lymph nodes in her neck.

Because of Eva, some dentists now have the message.

"What I would like to see is a dentist making the effort to do that exam and perhaps patients have to prompt them to do that," Jacob said.

Oral Cancer Treatment Can Be Tough

Brian Hill beat oral cancer, but said the cure almost killed him, Local 2 reported Wednesday.

After surgery, oral cancer is typically treated with a series of radiation treatments. Those treatments can dry out saliva glands, burn the lining of the throat and destroy taste buds.

"It affects quality of life, the impact on swallowing, voice, even simple things like taste -- those impacts are lifelong," Hill said.

The results of radiation were accepted as the price to pay for beating the cancer. But as patients moved from being diagnosed in their 60s to their 30s and 40s, doctors began to rethink the issue.

A study at M.D. Anderson Hospital called "Young Tongues" is looking at how chemotherapy before surgery can limit or eliminate the need for radiation.

The chemotherapy and surgery combo worked for George Timmons, who had half his tongue removed, but avoided radiation.

Hill started the Oral Cancer Foundation to help deal with the disease and its often devastating cure.

"Anything we can do to avoid the use of radiotherapy, in younger patients particularly, should be done," he said.

Hill is never without a water bottle to help keep his mouth moist. But he said it's a small price to pay for his life.

One day, he hopes others won't have to pay at all.

Oral Cancer Strikes Younger, Nonsmokers

Oral cancer does not just affect those over 50 who smoke, Local 2 reported Tuesday.

At the age of 44, George Timmons became part of a disturbing trend.

"Certainly, we know tobacco and alcohol and age are sort of co-factors in the cancer, but we are seeing more cancer in the oral cavity and throats of younger individuals, if they're in their 30s and 40s and 50s," Jacob said.

In Timmons' case, doctors believe years of using smokeless tobacco led to the tumor in his tongue.

After chemotherapy, surgery took lymph nodes from his neck, as well as half of his tongue.

"I wish I would have been more receptive to the information and I was, like, hard-headed, like, 'That is not going to happen to me.' But you know what? It can. It will," Timmons said.

"There is literature that says, and nationally based databases that have found, that head and neck cancer in young people seems to be increasing," said Dr. Erich Sturgis, M.D. Anderson's head and neck surgeon.

The young age is not the only trend catching young people off guard. More oral cancer patients have little to no history of using alcohol or smoking, which are the two leading causes of oral cancer.

Eva Torres, 35, also did not fit the profile.

"I don't smoke. That's one of the first questions they asked me. I am asthmatic. If I smoke, I get asthma and go into the hospital," Torres said.

Yet, she had part of her tongue and throat removed because of oral cancer.

She said she let the symptoms go untreated for six years because she did not realize what it was.

"I think there (are) multiple factors at play that may be causing cancers in younger patients, in particular, nonsmokers. It could be a virus that has been described and identified in tumors not only of the oral cavity, but in the throat area. There may be genetic factors," said Dr. Randal Weber, an M.D. Anderson head and neck surgeon.

Oral Cancer Often Misdiagnosed

Oral cancer is often misdiagnosed or ignored, according to doctors.

In the United States, deaths from oral cancer can be counted in hours -- one death for every hour of the day.

It killed former Beatle George Harrison and Bruce Paltrow and it destroyed actor Jack Klugman's voice.

"A lot of these lesions are completely painless and the patient is not even aware they are there," said Dr. Alan Stanton, a dentist.

Doctors say the lack of pain causes the cancer to be misdiagnosed or ignored by both the patients and the doctors.

"Symptoms of oral cancer can be subtle and not so significant," Weber said.

A knot in the throat can be chalked up to swollen glands from a mild flu bug. A white or cream-colored spot, which signals danger on the tongue, can be mistaken for ulcers.

"Primarily what you would be looking for is different color tissue," Jacob said.

"Anything that has been there more than a week to 10 days we need to be concerned about," Stanton said.

Tissue in the mouth repairs and replaces itself every 14 days. So, if a sore or spot lasts longer, doctors say check it out.

Since some spots can turn out to be cancerous, doctors say a patient can be his or her own buddy by paying attention.

"Cancers in the mouth are usually on the skin 90 percent of the time, so they should be very visible. Perusing your own mouth, the side of your tongue, the top of your mouth should all look very pink and uniform," Jacob said.

When it comes to swollen glands in the neck, pay attention. If they last longer than a few weeks, see a doctor.

Oral cancer is very treatable but the prognosis for survival is cut in half if it spreads, according to doctors.

"Most oral cancers can be prevented from progressing if they can be spotted early. It is when they are allowed to progress that serious damage can be done," Stanton said.

Free Screenings To Be Held, Download Brochure

Three free screening events will be held.

Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Bayou City Art Festival in Memorial Park. Screening exams will be held at the Local 2 exhibit booth.
April 19, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Annual Spring Community Health and Fitness Fair
Missouri City Community Center, 1522 Texas Parkway
May 22, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Mano a Mano Health Fair, Houston Community College - Southeast
6815 Rustic Ave.

For more information on oral cancers, visit www.mdanderson.org/oralcancer or call (713) 792-6161 for a brochure.

Download and print the Buddy Check Oral Cancer Brochure (Requires Free Adobe Acrobat Reader):

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