Mission
To improve the public’s oral health by promoting early detection and prevention of oral cancer in conjunction with the education of patients and healthcare providers.
It always throws me off balance when I am asked to speak to community groups and I suggest the title of new findings in oral cancer. The glazed facial expressions and less than enthusiastic, but polite nods, speak volumes. After promising the group not to make the presentation too technical or visually disturbing, they half-heartedly agree. Following the presentation, there is usually a host of questions and true confessions, along with the comment, “I thought this topic was going to be boring, but I learned a lot and your passion for the topic made it engaging.” It is a nice compliment, but would skin, breast, cervical or prostate cancer have prompted similar comments – I think not.
Despite targeted public relations campaigns by the American Dental Association, the public still finds oral cancer mysterious or, worse yet, a virtual unknown. Consistently, surveys show that many adults are unaware of oral cancer; do not recall being screened for this disease; cannot list the early signs and symptoms; and do not recognize alcohol misuse as an important contributor. For the healthcare provider, the list of emerging or possible risk factors is expanding, along with diagnostic screening devices, molecular markers for early detection, and bioactive compounds in foods for disease prevention. As an example, the National Cancer Institute is funding a study to evaluate a nutrient found in black raspberries for oral cancer prevention. Preliminary results show this fruit holds promise in treating leukoplakia, a precancerous condition, when compounded into a powdered gel. Important discoveries are being made every day in the field of oral cancer which is exciting, confusing and somewhat intimidating for all of us. In collaboration with other organizations, the Jack T. Clark Foundation is committed to placing this preventable disease in the spotlight through community grassroots efforts and unveiling its mystique.
Contact the TAGD and ask how you can help.
-Catherine Flaitz, DDS
Chairman, Jack T. Clark Foundation
Board of Trustees
Dr. Catherine Flaitz, Houston
Chairman
Dr. Ralph Cooley, Conroe
Chairman Elect
Dr. Michael Hodapp, Houston
Immediate Past Chairman
Dr. Karen Frazer, Austin
Treasurer
Connie Sonnier, Austin
Secretary
Dr. Robert Kelly, Cleburne
Trustee 2012
Dr. Jerry Bouquot, Houston
Trustee 2012
Dr. Bob Donnelly, San Marcos
Trustee 2011
Dr. Moshtagh Farokhi, Helotes
Trustee 2011
Sherri Myers, RDH
Trustee 2010
Dr. Mary Mellard, Houston
Trustee 2010
Meg Hulse, Austin
Director