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Oral Cancer

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

Synonyms

Lesion on tongue; lip; and other areas in the mouth

Definition

Oral cancer is a malignancy that occurs in different parts of the oral cavity, including: lips, the inside lining of the lips and cheeks (buccal mucosa), the teeth, the gums, the front two-thirds of the tongue, the floor of the mouth below the tongue, and the bony roof of the mouth (hard palate).

Characteristics

Epidemiology and Etiology

Oral cancer is a significant global health concern. It is responsible for over 300,000 new cases per year worldwide. Sixty to eighty percent of cases are diagnosed at a late stage (in high and low resource countries, respectively), resulting in poor five-year survival rates. Squamous cell carcinomas constitute more than 90% of malignant tumors of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Males shows a higher incidence than females, mainly because a significantly higher exposure to etiological factors. The main etiological factors are tobacco and alcohol use. These two agents are strongly...

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References

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See Also

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  • (2012) Field cancerization. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1406. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_2185

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Correspondence to Wan L. Lam .

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Martinez, V., Garnis, C., Lam, W.L. (2017). Oral Cancer. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46875-3_4249

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