Health Tips - About Oral Cavity Cancer

What should people know about cancer of the oral cavity?

The oral cavity is made up of the mouth, pharynx and salivary glands. Almost four percent of cancers occur in the oral cavity. The tongue, floor of the mouth, gums, lip, tonsil and lower pharynx are where most oral cavity cancers occur. Cancer of the salivary glands is relatively rare. However, when it does occur, it most frequently starts in the parotid gland.

Who gets cancer of the oral cavity?

Cancer of the oral cavity is two to three times more common among males than females. Black men are more likely to get oral cavity cancer than white men, and are almost twice as likely to die from the disease.

What causes cancer of the oral cavity?

The most common risk factors for getting cancer of the oral cavity are tobacco use (both cigarette smoking and smokeless/chewing tobacco) and drinking alcoholic beverages in excess. Each of these activities increases a person’s risk for developing cancer of the oral cavity. In combination, tobacco and excess alcohol use significantly increase the risk for getting oral cavity cancer. It is estimated that as much as 75% of all oral cavity cancers may be due to these two risk factors.

Certain parts of the oral cavity also have their own risk factors. For example, cancer of the lip is associated with outdoor occupations, such as farming and fishing. This may be due to excess exposure to sunlight. Cancer of the salivary gland has been associated with exposure to ionizing radiation (X rays). It also is associated with working as a farmer or in the rubber-making industry.

What can I do to reduce my chances of getting cancer of the oral cavity?

The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of getting cancer of the oral cavity is to not use tobacco products and to only drink alcoholic beverages in moderation. If you smoke or use smokeless tobacco, stop. If you drink alcoholic beverages, try to limit the amount to two or fewer drinks per day. If you work outdoors, avoid too much sunlight and use sunscreen. A regular examination of the entire mouth by your dentist or health care provider can detect early signs of oral cavity cancer. Also, if you work in a high risk job, be aware of the health and safety rules and follow them.

Tags: Cancer, Health, Health Tips, mouth cancer, oral cancer

This entry was posted on Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 12:01 pm and is filed under Health Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.