Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer, will affect about 53,000 people in the United States this year. While most people diagnosed with this type of cancer are over 60-years-old, it can develop in young people too. It’s also twice as common in men as in women. The good news is that mouth cancer has a survival rate of about 70 to 90-percent but only if it’s detected early.
If cancer progresses and has spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate drops to 38-percent. This is why learning the warning signs and risk factors is so important. Follow along as we uncover the signs, symptoms, and treatment options of mouth cancer, and make sure you speak to your doctor if you think you’re at risk.
What is Mouth Cancer?
Mouth cancer is cancer that develops in any part of the oral cavity. Mouth cancer can occur on the tongue, gums, roof of the mouth, floor of the mouth (below the tongue), the inner lining of the cheeks, and on the lips.
When cancer develops inside the mouth, it’s often referred to as oral cancer. Furthermore, while this might be less common, tumors can also develop on the tonsils at the back of your mouth, the part of your throat that connects your mouth to the windpipe, and in the glands that produce saliva.