A small ulcer that refuses to heal. A white patch was brushed aside as “nothing serious”. A mild pain while swallowing. Doctors are warning that these seemingly harmless signs may actually be early signals of oral cancer — one of India’s fastest-growing and most overlooked health threats.

In a major public health push this May, HCG Manavata Cancer Centre in Nashik has launched a month-long oral cancer screening initiative aimed at encouraging early detection and prevention. The campaign comes at a time when specialists are witnessing a worrying rise in head and neck cancers across India, particularly among younger adults.

Leading the awareness drive, Dr. Raj Nagarkar, Chief of Surgical Oncology and Robotic Services and Managing Director of KIMS Manavata Hospitals and HCG Manavata Cancer Centre, has urged people to adopt a simple two-minute self-check routine called "Feel, Look, and Act."

The message is direct. Feel for lumps or swelling around the jaw and neck. Look for ulcers, red or white patches, loose teeth or abnormal bleeding inside the mouth. Act immediately if symptoms continue for more than two weeks.

“At HCGMCC, head and neck cancers account for around 50 per cent of all diagnosed cancer cases, with oral cancers comprising nearly 70 per cent of these,” said Dr Nagarkar. “Although oral cancer is largely preventable, nearly 70 per cent of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, making treatment far more difficult.”

That delay, doctors say, is proving deadly.

According to clinicians involved in the campaign, oral cancers linked to tobacco chewing, smoking and alcohol consumption continue to dominate Indian cancer wards. However, researchers are now also seeing a growing role of the human papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV — a viral infection that can silently trigger cancers in the throat and mouth over time.

Medical experts explain that most head and neck cancers belong to a category called 'squamous cell carcinoma'. In simple terms, it means cancer that begins in the thin flat cells lining the mouth, throat and voice box. These cancers often grow quietly before showing obvious symptoms.

The disturbing trend now extends beyond elderly patients.

“Nearly 25 per cent of our oral cancer patients are now below 50 years of age,” Dr Nagarkar said, pointing to a gradual shift towards younger populations. Men continue to account for nearly 80 per cent of cases, though specialists say rising tobacco use among women is also becoming a concern, particularly as it may lead to an increase in oral cancer cases among younger women in the future.

Inside oncology departments, the pattern has become painfully familiar. Patients arrive months after ignoring an ulcer or persistent sore throat. By then, the cancer may already have spread to lymph nodes, the jaws, or even distant organs. Treatment becomes more aggressive. Eating, speaking and swallowing may prove difficult. Survival rates drop sharply.

Doctors say this is precisely why self-screening matters.

During awareness sessions at the Nashik Center this month, counsellors are encouraging people to stand before a mirror once every few weeks and examine the inside of the mouth under proper lighting. The exercise sounds simple. But oncologists insist it could save lives.

Scientific studies published in journals, including those from the World Health Organization and the National Cancer Institute, have repeatedly shown that cancers detected early are significantly easier to treat and carry better survival outcomes.

Doctors also warn that treatment does not end the danger completely. “Cancer recurrence is seen in nearly 15 per cent of patients even after successful treatment,” Dr Nagarkar added, stressing the need for lifelong follow-up and tobacco cessation support. 

For many specialists, the biggest tragedy is that oral cancer is among the most visible cancers in the human body yet among the most ignored.

The campaign’s central warning is clear: if a mouth ulcer, swelling, or patch does not disappear within two weeks, seek medical attention immediately. A mirror, a quick self-check and an early medical consultation may be the difference between a curable disease and a life-threatening one.