Where oral cancer occurs
About 10,750 Americans are expected to die from oral and oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancer this year. And approximately 53,000 people will be diagnosed with these cancers.1 These statistics are made even more tragic by the fact that mouth and throat cancers have several known high-risk factors — making them largely preventable. Knowing these risk factors is key to avoiding or spotting these cancers early.
Where oral cancer occurs
Lips
Under the tongue
Cheeks
Gums
Tissue covering the hard palate (the bony roof of the mouth)
Where oropharyngeal cancer occurs
Tonsils
Back and sides of the throat
Risk factors you can’t control
While you can’t control them, it’s important to be aware of these risk factors:
Risk factors you can control
However, some risk factors are linked to behavior that can be controlled:
How to reduce your risk
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk of developing mouth and throat cancers:
Sources:
1https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
2https://www.webmd.com/cancer/oral-cancer-men-how-spot-early#2
3https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(16)00070-2/fulltext
4https://www.webmd.com/cancer/oral-cancer-men-how-spot-early#2
5https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/hpv_oropharyngeal.htm
6https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/head-neck-institute/cancer/oral/hpv-faqs