CANCER OF THE ORAL CAVITY

CANCER OF THE ORAL CAVITYà The oral cavity includes many parts of the head and face: the lips; the lining inside the lips and cheeks, called the buccal mucosa; the teeth; the bottom (floor) of the mouth under the tongue; the front two-thirds of the tongue; the bony top of the mouth (hard palate); the gums; and the small area behind the wisdom teeth­⁴. 

Cancer of the oral cavity is usually by a sore on the lip or mouth, red or white patches in the mouth, unexplained bleeding from the mouth.  A biopsy is the only way to know if an abnormal area is cancer.  Most treatments entail surgery, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two.  According to the National Cancer Institute, tobacco use accounts for 80 to 90 percent of oral cancers.  The Institute also states that people who stop using tobacco -- even after many years of use -- can greatly reduce their risk of oral cancer³³.   

One study done in Tarragona, Spain studied the incidence of smoking and oral cancers.  Over the sixteen years, it was found that the incidence of cancer increased in women 4.5%, specifically, oral cancer increased by 7.0%¹².  Another study looks at the formation of Secondary Primary Tumors (SPT).  It was found that at the time of publication, 172 patients had developed SPT.  Of these 121 or 70.3% were tobacco-related SPT’s.  In conclusion, the study found significantly higher SPT rates for active smokers versus never smokers and significant increases in smoking-related SPT rates in active smokers versus never smokers²³.