Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer or cancer of the oral cavity, is often used to describe a number of cancers that start in the region of the mouth. Overall, oral cancer rates have increased approximately 15% from the mid1970s until the latest national cancer institute survey. Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors. Causes of oral cancer an appraisal of controversies article pdf available in british dental journal official journal of the british dental association. Oral cancer symptoms causes of oral cancer colgate. Head and neck cancers are the sixth most common form of cancer globally2, and around 500,000 new cases of oral and oropharyngeal cancers are diagnosed annually, threequarters of which occur. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of oral cancer. More than 90 percent of cancers that occur in the oral cavity are squamous cell carcinomas. Oral cancer is cancer that develops in the tissues of the mouth or throat. Learn more about the risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngealcancer. Oral cancer causes serious morbidity and mortality in older adults. Jan 27, 2020 lisa fayed is a freelance medical writer, cancer educator and patient advocate. Learn how smoking and heavy alcohol are key factors in the causes of oral cancer and read about oral cancer symptoms at.
Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors, and prevention 1. Risk factors an estimated 25 percent of oral cancer patients. While the vast majority of oral cancers frontanterior of mouth are related to tobacco and alcohol, about 10% of these cancers come from unknown causes. The lymph glands in the neck are usually the first place where mouth cancer forms secondaries. Charlotte and mike passed away in 2012 after suffering for several years from oral cancer. Oncologist reveals the causes and early signs of oral cancer. It was learned that people who migrated to other countries, developed. Causes of oral cancer two separate lines of research are now converging to unravel the complex series of events that lead to cancer. Some cancer types, even though disseminated, such as leukemias and lymphomas in children, and testicular. Approximately 49,700 americans are diagnosed each year with this largely preventable type of cancer that affects the mouth andor pharynx. Oral cancer accounts for roughly three percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the united states, or about 53,000 new cases each year. Poor oral hygiene may also predispose to increased risk of mouth cancer, and certainly having a decayed or broken tooth may cause rubbing against cheek or tongue and in time trigger a cancerous change. Often times, oropharyngeal cancerthat affects the soft palate, side and back walls of the throat, back third of the tongue, and the tonsilsis lumped under this term, too. Oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx.
Oral cancer causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. Doru paul, md, is boardcertified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. Oral cancer causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment national. Risk factors for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers. Accumulating cell mutations cause further abnormal growth and appearance, restricted to the epithelium. The risks here are very low though, when compared to the above top causes. These cancers develop when abnormal cells that line the inside of the mouth or throat begin to grow out of control. Oral cancer facts risk factors signs and symptoms additional.
Mouth cancer refers to cancer that develops in any of the parts that make up the mouth oral cavity. Oral cancer and its treatment can cause dental problems. Diagnosis too many patients with oral cancer seek evaluation late in the course of their disease or their disease is detected when disease it is advanced and metastasis to lymph. Aug 22, 2019 according to the american cancer society, around 50,000 people will develop cancer of the mouth or throat this year. But simply needling teens about the risks posed by oral sex and hpv the same virus that causes cervical cancer is no substitute for literally giving them the needle. Having a family history of oral cancer is a risk factor, as some gene mutations linked to cancers of the mouth and throat can be passed down from parent to child.
What puts someone at risk for developing oral cancer. In western europe and north america, the main types of. Smoking also causes cancers of the nasopharynx upper throat, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, lip, larynx voice box, mouth, pharynx throat, esophagus swallowing tube, and bladder. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Learn more about the risk factors for laryngeal and hypopharyngealcancers. Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors. Oral cancer is divided into two categories those occurring in the oral cavity your lips, the inside of your lips and cheeks, teeth, gums, the front twothirds of your tongue and the floor and roof of your mouth and those occurring in the oropharynx middle region of the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue. Discoveries of the roles of infectious agents as causes of cancer have contributed significantly to our ability to prevent cancer since 1980. Oral cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that develops when abnormal cells within the lining of the cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth, tongue, or lips grow uncontrollably. What is oral cancer and what are the common causes. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. More than 30% of patients with cancers of the lip have outdoor occupations associated with prolonged exposure to. Carcinoma of oral cavity causative and risk factors ecronicon.
Pdf causes of oral cancer an appraisal of controversies. It is interesting to reflect, that contrary to the dogma of the early 1900s, that infectious agents did not and could not cause cancer, it is now evident that they do. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, use tobacco, drink lots of alcohol, have hpv, or have a history of head or neck cancer. The symptoms due to these cancers include nonhealing ulcers in the oral cavity, bleeding from the mouth, increasing swelling in or around the mouth, white or red patches in the mouth, difficulty or pain during swallowing, a change in voice or hoarseness, and difficulty in breathing. Floor of the mouth under the tongue cancer that occurs on the inside of the mouth is sometimes called oral.
Mouth cancer signs may include red sores that dont heal. Oral cancer occurs more frequently in men than women, and is most likely to strike people over 40. Pdf oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, and it continues to represent a serious public health problem. Oral cancers develop on the tongue, the tissue lining the mouth and gums, under the tongue, at the base of the tongue, and the area of the throat at the back of the mouth. Feb 28, 2011 but simply needling teens about the risks posed by oral sex and hpv the same virus that causes cervical cancer is no substitute for literally giving them the needle.
Mouth cancer is one of several types of cancers grouped in a category called head and neck cancers. The hpv virus, especially type hpv16, may also cause oral cancer. Mouth cancer that spreads to another part of the body is known as metastatic oral cancer, which are often called secondaries. Most oral cancers begin in the flat cells that cover the surfaces of your mouth, tongue, and lips. Nnk and nnn in the tobacco products can cause tumors of the oral cavity, lung, esophagus, and pancreas have been. Rare causes of oral cancer include tertiary syphilis, discoid lupus erythematosus, dyskeratosis congenita, and plummervinson syndrome iron deficiency and dysphagia. Oral cancer is a type of head and neck cancer and is any cancerous tissue growth located in the oral cavity1. Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors, and prevention cancer. Hpv is thought to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the united states. One area has clearly identified sitespecific alterations of oncogenes such as egfr and tumor suppressor genes such as p53. In 1950, the world health organization sponsored an international symposium, and the attendees were intrigued by the dramatic variations in the types of cancer found in different areas of the world. The question of what causes cancer has intrigued people for generations. A doctor or dentist usually finds oral cancer in its early stages because the mouth can be easily examined.
During the same period, 5year survival rates also increased. Treatment of other cancers with potential for cure. It is difficult to estimate the impact of doll and petos views, but their 1981 article had been cited in over 441 other scientific articles by the end of 2004. Feb 10, 2016 the use of combined estrogenprogestin oral contraceptives was reported to be associated with decreases in ovarian and endometrial cancers3,4. Causes of oral cancer oral cancer continuing education. Individuals who both smoke and drink have a 35fold increase in oral cancer risk compared to individuals who never drink or smoke14. Oral cancer national institute of dental and craniofacial. Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths in the united states.
Oral cancer appears as a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away. About 90% of people with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer use tobacco alcohol. More than 90 percent of cancers that occur in the oral. See a dentist for a thorough exam one month, if possible, before starting cancer treatment to give your mouth time to heal after any dental work you might need. Pdf oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in the world. Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma scc is common, and despite its relative ease of. It causes 87% of lung cancer deaths in men and 70% in women.
The why behind this rapid and aberrant growth is linked to risk factors, like tobacco and alcohol use. Oral cancer affects almost twice as many men as women. Treatment for mouth cancer depends on your cancer s location and stage, as well as your overall health and personal preferences. Mouth cancer and other head and neck cancers are often treated similarly. With dietary deficiencies, these factors cause more than 90 percent of oral cancers. Hpv can infect the mouth and throat and cause cancers of the oropharynx back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils. Epidemiological studies concerning the association between oral contraceptive use and breast cancer produced inconsistent results which were difficult to interpret. The risk for developing oral cancer is 3 times higher in smokers. Consumption of smokeless tobacco causes mainly oral precancer and cancer. Its important that your mouth is in good health before cancer treatment begins.
The term oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth and the pharynx the back of the throat. The chemicals found in these products cause damage to the cells dna, which can lead to cancer formation. Apr 19, 2019 mouth cancer that spreads to another part of the body is known as metastatic oral cancer. Oral cancer is of major concern in southeast asia primarily because of the prevalent. Learn more about the risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
Oral cancer is a type of head and neck cancer and is any cancerous tissue growth located in the oral. Oral cancer is fairly common and very curable if found and treated at an early stage. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Oral cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to increased carcinogenesis, the exact mechanism is unclear but it may be related to carcinogenic. An estimated 49,750 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed each year. It usually takes years after being infected with hpv for cancer to develop. Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors, and prevention cancer. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body there are over 200 types of cancer anything that may cause a normal body cell to develop abnormally potentially can cause cancer. Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer causes, risk factors, and. Risk factors for mouth cancer the underlying causes that trigger the changes in dna leading to the cancer. Causes of mouth and tongue cancer when it comes to the mouth or oral cancer, the leading causes in the united states are alcohol and tobacco.
Oral cancer is caused by the changes which occur in the dna of cells, which make them begin to rapidly multiply and eventually spread to other places in the body. Oral cancer cause occ, a 501c3 nonprofit, was founded in 20 by linda miles and robin morrison in memory of charlotte estep, linda miles sisterinlaw, and mike collins, robin morrisons brother. Prevention and patient management what is oral cancer. Cancer is defined as the uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissue.
Drinking alcohol strongly increases a smokers risk of developing oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. You may have just one type of treatment, or you may undergo a combination of cancer treatments. Oral cancer is cancer that starts in the mouth or throat. On average, 57 percent of those with the disease will survive more than five years.
The cancer experts at cancer treatment centers of america ctca have extensive experience in staging and diagnosing the disease, and developing a treatment plan tailored to each patients specific type of oral cancer. These most commonly occur on the lips, tongue and floor of the mouth but can also start in the cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth, tonsils and salivary glands. Chewing of tobacco and smoking is strongly associated with oral cancer. In the present century the prevalence of oral cancer is more due to excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco. History of oral cancer research initiative associate dean. In both of these measures there are significant disparities in some population groups. It belongs to a larger group of cancers called head and neck cancers. Mouth cancer that spreads to another part of the body is known as metastatic oral cancer. Njm agar and rs patel department of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery, new zealand. There are many factors which can be considered causes for this change in dna. Early detection, causes and screening of oral cancer. Cancer that occurs on the inside of the mouth is sometimes called oral cancer or oral cavity cancer.