Walkers raise awareness about fighting oral cancer

More than 8,000 people die each year of oral cancer, and a Creighton University student group is trying to prevent some of those deaths.

The Creighton chapter of the Student National Dental Association held a walk Saturday along the Omaha riverfront to call attention to oral cancer and raise money to fight it.

The hope is that people with the disease will be diagnosed earlier, said Erica Ross, a Creighton dental student and one of the event’s organizers.

People often don’t realize that the symptoms of oral cancer, like bleeding in the mouth, are signs of a serious illness.

By the time they try to receive treatment, Ross said, little can be done.

“Early diagnosis is best,” she said.

Risk factors for oral cancer include tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

Krystal Willie, one of about 50 participants in the walk, said she liked that the event focused on preventing a type of cancer that doesn’t usually receive much attention.

“People forget about oral cancer,” said Willie, a Southern Utah University senior doing a summer enrichment program at Creighton.

Ross said she expected the group to raise about $2,300 through sponsors and registration fees from the walk, which began at Miller’s Landing.

Some proceeds will be donated to the Oral Cancer Foundation. The rest will be used toward the Creighton group’s outreach and education projects.

Contact the writer:

444-3152, emily.babay@owh.com