Mouth Cancer

Important Facts on Mouth Cancer

Oral cancer is a group of cancers including cancer of the lip, tongue, mouth, oropharynx, piriform sinus, hypopharynx and other and ill-defined sites of the lip, oral cavity and pharynx.

  • More than 6,700 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer in the UK every year.
  • In 2011, around 4,510 men and 2,257 women were diagnosed with oral cancer.
  • More than 2,000 people lose their life to mouth cancer in the UK every year.
  • Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition
  • Around 2,100 people died of oral cancer in 2012 in the UK, that’s around 6 people every day.
  • Oral cancer mortality rates have increased by around 10% in the UK in the last decade.
  • Smokingis the main avoidable risk factor for oral cancer, linked to an estimated 65% of oral cancer cases in the UK.
  • An estimated 91% of oral cancers in the UK are linked to lifestyle factors including smoking and alcohol.
  • Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined.
  • Four in five people don’t know the symptoms of mouth cancer.
  • Over two thirds of mouth cancer cases are detected at a late stage, reducing chances of survival.
  • Almost two-thirds of people don’t know if their dentists checks for mouth cancer.