Oral cancer is a cancer that begins in the mouth or the throat at the back of the mouth, called the oropharynx. An oral cancer can appear anywhere in the oral cavity, including the lips, the lining of the mouth, under the tongue, the tongue, the gums, the area behind the wisdom teeth, the back of the throat, the tonsils, and the roof of the mouth.

 

Oral Cancer Facts

• Of the 400,000 people worldwide who are diagnosed each year with oral cancer, only half will be alive in five years time. Every hour of every day, one American dies of oral cancer.(African figures are unavailable)

• About 30,000 Americans diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer each year, 8000 will die.

• Every year in the UK some 4,400 people contract mouth cancer – a condition that has (according to a Cancer Research UK survey) increased by a quarter in the last decade and kills more people than cervical and testicular cancer combined.

• Oral cancer is far too often detected in late stage development — the primary reason for the high death rate. Oral cancer can have potentially disfiguring effects on patients, seriously compromising their quality of life. Early detection of abnormalities can make a large difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found early.

• Smoking in combination with heavy alcohol consumption (30+ drinks per week) is the primary (75%) risk factor for oral cancer. Heavy smokers (more than one pack a day) are at a 24 times higher risk for oral cancer. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, or using chew or snuff tobacco are the greatest risk factors accounting for 80 to 90% of all oral cancers.

• A person who uses alcohol and tobacco is 100 times more likely to develop oral cancer than someone who does not use either substance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Other risk factors include prolonged sun exposure (for cancer of the lip) and human papillomavirus infection.

• Signs and symptoms include sores that bleed and don’t heal, swelling of the tongue or throat, red or white spots, or even tiny marks that look similar to canker sores.

• Oral cancer is more likely to strike after the age of 50 however there has been a significant increase in oral cancer in people under age 30.

• The tongue is the most common site of oral cancer. Typically, the side of the tongue (farthest back in the mouth) is involved. The floor of the mouth (that area beneath the tongue) is next in order of frequency followed by the insides of the cheeks with involvement of other areas showing a lesser incidence.

• Men’s risk of being diagnosed with oral caner is twice that of women.

• The treatment for oral cancer may be surgery, radiotherapy, chemo or a combination of these options. Small, accessible tumours may be simply removed by lasers and perhaps treated with photodynamic therapy.

• Oral cancer experts say that 75 per cent of oral cancers could be avoided by a healthy lifestyle and diet:

  • Eat a balanced diet rich in fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and dairy products which will provide all the essential nutrients

  • Brush twice every day (in the morning and before bedtime) and maintain proper oral hygiene habits.

  • Have a dental checkup every six months.

Oral Cancer Myths

• There is no evidence to suggest that cancer grows more rapidly when “exposed to air” and one should not let this idea prevent potential life saving surgery.

• You’re still more likely to die of a smoking-related disease than anything else – but the risk is lower than if you smoked less .Scientists call the risk ‘linear’. So smoking 20 cigarettes a day gives you a 50 per cent chance of dying from a smoking-related disease – cancer or heart disease or lung disease. Smoking two sticks a day brings that risk down to 5pc – .Cigars are safer – but only if you don’t inhale, and they come with a higher risk of oral cancer.

• While it is true that having a close relative, – mother, father, sister or brother – with oral cancer, may increase your risk, it does not automatically mean you will develop oral cancer.

• In fact, although stress has been suspected as a risk factor in addictions, obesity, high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, colitis, asthma, insomnia, migraines, physiological disorders and a weakened immunity system, a connection to the development of cancer has not been proved. Stress has also not been linked to the return of cancer.