Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
| | A | | | B | | | C | | | D | | | E | | | F | | | G | | | H | | | I | | | J | | | K | | | L | | | M | |
| | N | | | O | | | P | | | Q | | | R | | | S | | | T | | | U | | | V | | | W | | | X | | | Y | |
Cancer of the mouth
Cancer of the lip, tongue, gums and floor of the mouth are the most common types of mouth cancer. Less often it involves the inside of the cheeks or the palate. It may also start in one of the salivary glands, or spread to the mouth from surrounding areas such as the throat or nose.
As with many forms of cancer, early diagnosis is important to maximise the benefits of any treatment, to reduce the chances of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body, and to avoid facial disfigurements and speech difficulties.
According to statistics gathered by Cancer Research UK, mouth cancers are twice as common in men as women. It is also more likely to affected people over the age of 40. However, recent research shows that it is becoming more common in younger patients and woman. In the UK there are over 4.300 new cases of mouth cancer diagnosed, and more than 1700 people die from the condition, every year.









