Oral Cancer: A Silent Battle in Latin America.
This day goes beyond the cold, statistical framework to urge the population to adopt active surveillance: the practice of regular self-examination and the scrutiny of early signs, such as persistent lesions or any alteration of the oral mucosa.
Every December 5th, the attention of Latin America focuses on a silent public health crisis: oral cancer. Established by the Latin American Dental Federation in tribute to the legacy of Cuban physician Julio Santana Garay, this date has transcended mere commemoration to become a continental call to action.
Its essence lies in the urgent need to recognize oral health not as a secondary matter, but as the essential gateway to biological integrity.
The disease, which can manifest in the lips, tongue, gums, and pharynx, poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems: its silent and asymptomatic progression. This makes early detection a true race against time, indispensable for reducing associated mortality.
The epidemiological profile of oral cancer is closely linked to risk factors deeply rooted in the regional culture: habitual tobacco and alcohol consumption, prolonged sun exposure, and persistent nutritional deficiencies.
Although the incidence is concentrated mostly in men and the elderly, its origin clearly reflects the practices and living conditions experienced daily by millions of Latin Americans.
The day transcends the cold, statistical framework to urge the population to adopt active vigilance: the practice of regular self-examination and the scrutiny of early signs, such as persistent lesions or any alteration of the oral mucosa. In this way, oral health, historically relegated to the shadows of priorities, reclaims its status as a strategic component of overall health.
The date, in effect, serves as a critical hinge between scientific knowledge and civic action. The ongoing tribute to Dr. Santana Garay lends this commemoration a profound ethical and historical resonance. His tireless crusade to bring oral cancer out of obscurity made him a beacon for prevention in the hemisphere.
To evoke his memory is to assume that the confrontation against this neoplasm is not only resolved in the operating room or the clinical office, but is conquered, primarily, in the sphere of collective consciousness and in the capacity of nations to embrace prevention as a shared moral imperative.
In Cuba, where cancer remains a leading cause of death, the day takes on a particular solemnity. Government campaigns take the form of free screenings, community outreach, and health education programs designed to strengthen a culture of prevention.
Every check-up, every neighborhood meeting is simultaneously an act of safeguarding individual life and a contribution to strengthening the national health system.
In a land ravaged by profound social inequalities, this date emphasizes that health is an inalienable right and that prevention, investment in research, and active solidarity are the sharpest tools against a scourge that knows no borders.
December 5th is not just a reminder; it is an urgent call to action, a call to move beyond mere awareness and to take decisive action together.
Written by Yadiel Barbón.
