Oral cancer refers to cancers of the head and neck. It includes cancer of the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, salivary glands, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and pharynx. Brain cancer falls in a different category.
The risk factors include the following:
- Habitual smoking, taking snuff and chewing of tobacco,gutka, pan or areca nut
- Heavy drinking of alcohol
- Human papilloma virus (HPV)
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Lichen planus that causes white lines and spots in the mouth.
- On immuno suppression drugs
- Exposure to radiation at a young age
- Previous personal history of cancer elsewhere in the body
- Family history of cancer
- Certain genetic traits and syndromes (such as Fanconi anemia and Dsykeratosis congenita) carry a higher risk.
- Age as cancer risk increases as we get older. The average age of diagnosis is 62.
- Male gender is twice at more risk than females
- A source of chronic trauma, like-ill fitting dentures, sharp cusp of tooth
- Poor oral hygiene
- Eating Chinese-style salted fish, rich in nitrosamines
- Sun exposure may cause lip cancer, particularly in the fair skinned
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