Oral Cancer
1
Supporting Information
There are about 4,500 new cases of mouth (oral) cancer every
year in England and Wales
Oral cancer (which also includes cancers in the part of the throat
that connects the mouth and the upper part of the digestive tract)
kills about 1,500 people every year in England and Wales. It can
have many causes, but most cases are caused by smoking and
excessive alcohol consumption.
Oral cancer is more common in men than women, and most cases
develop in people who are 40 or over. It mostly affects older men
who have a history of heavy smoking and drinking. However,
population studies in western Europe suggest that mouth cancer is
increasing among younger age groups, with more people in their
30s and 40s now having this disease.
Lifestyle Factors
There's no doubt that lifestyle factors are affecting the number of
young people developing mouth cancer. The UK’s biggest drinkers
are in the 16-24 age group.
Alcohol is not nearly as well recognised by the public as a risk factor
for mouth cancer as smoking, but people who drink to excess are
four times more likely than non-drinkers to develop it. People who
use tobacco and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to
develop mouth cancer
Scientists in the US have shown that the human papilloma
virus (HPV), which is responsible for cervical cancer, may also
trigger certain types of mouth and tonsil cancer. It's now believed
that this could be another risk factor affecting younger people.
2
Detecting Mouth Cancer
The early symptoms of mouth cancer can be hard to distinguish
from other harmless conditions, and some can be mistaken for a
relatively minor problem such as a mouth ulcer. This often means
it's not picked up early enough.
Results from a study at King’s College London have shown that
public awareness of the early signs and symptoms of mouth
cancer is low, as is people's knowledge of the key risk factors.
Dentists are trained to check for early warning signs of mouth
cancer and they can spot things that may not be able to seen
by the person themselves.
However, it is incredibly important for people to get to know
their own mouth and to check all the tissues inside it daily for
any changes.
See: Mouth Cancer Display
Mouth Cancer Symptoms
The most common symptoms are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
an ulcer (break in the lining of the mouth) that does not heal
within three weeks
an unexplained new lump in the mouth which persists for more
than three weeks
a white and red patch on the gums, tongue or lining of the mouth
difficulty swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue
numbness of the tongue, lips or areas of the mouth
a feeling that something is caught in the throat
chronic sore throat or hoarseness
swelling of the jaw that makes dentures uncomfortable or ill
fitting
neck swelling
3
•
•
unexplained tooth mobility (tooth moving)
obstruction, ulceration or bloody discharge of the nasal passages
(nose)
Cancer is not usually the cause for many of these symptoms, but if it
is cancer, early diagnosis can be lifesaving. Survival rates are much
better for early cancers than advanced ones.
In smokers and heavy drinkers, there could be changes to the lining
of the mouth for many years before a cancer develops. Regular
examinations by a dentist will help to detect these early changes.
The person could then be informed of how they may reduce their
risks by changing their lifestyle, and could be referred to a specialist
for further support.
(Reproduced from NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk)
4