Oral Cancer

About 3.1% of all cancers diagnosed annually are found in the oral cavity with 44% of these lesions found in the elderly. Risk factors for oral cancer include smoking or the use of smokeless tobacco and alcohol. Since the mouth can easily be examined, the detection and cure rate for these cancers should be high. Unfortunately, this is not the case; about 8,000 to 9,000 deaths are attributed to oral cancer each year. Typically, lesions are not diagnosed until after they have spread. The five-year survival rate for oral cancer that has already spread is only 22% (Silverman, 1990).

Treatment for oral cancer often leads to disfiguration accompanied by a substantial loss of oral function. Although oral cancers have a predilection for the lateral borders and base of the tongue and the floor of the mouth, they can occur on most of the intraoral tissues. You can perform your own oral cancer screening in between your regular dental visits.