Oral Cancer

Let’s break it down…

  • This cancer is generally divided into four main categories, lip, oral cavity, salivary gland and oropharynx.
  • Cancers of the lip are mostly caused by ultra violet radiation from the sun.
  • Oral cavity cancers generally come from tobacco use, high alcohol consumption. A very small number comes from HPV or unknown causes.
  • The causes for salivary gland cancers are not well understood.
  • Oropharyngeal cancers (back of the mouth) predominantly come from HPV-16. A small number still come from tobacco use.
  • When considering all locations – 42,000 Americans will be affected in 2013.
  • 115 new individuals will be diagnosed in the US every day of the year.
  • It kills one person every hour of every day, 24/7/365.
  • If something suspicious persists in your mouth for more than two weeks, get it checked by a dental or medical professional.
  • Make sure to get a screening every year – early detection is the key to survival and fewer treatment related quality of life issues.
  • For the most current, vetted information visit www.oralcancer.org.