Oral & pharyngeal cancer

Oral cancer refers to malignant neoplasms of the lips, tongue, and intraoral tissues including the oropharynx (figs. 1-11).

About 60% of oral cancers occur in the oral cavity, and the remainder in the oropharynx. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 90% of all oral malignancies.

Oral cancer accounts for approximately 2-4% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States and for 2.2% of all cancer deaths. About half of the estimated 30,000 cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. have a fatal outcome within a five-year period.

The overall survival rate of oral cancer in the U.S. is worse than that of cancers of the prostate, uterus, breast, bladder, larynx, cervix, colon, and rectum. Oral cancer is the fourth leading cancer in African American men. Ninety-five percent of oral cancer cases are diagnosed in people older than 45 years and the median age of diagnosis is 64 years.

The major risk factor for oral cancer is tobacco, which accounts for about 70% of all oral cancers diagnosed in this country. The combined habits of smoking and drinking significantly increase the risk of developing oral cancer.

Between 1973 and 1996 the incidence of oral cancer declined by 13% in whites, but increased by 18% in African Americans.