Oral Cancer FAQs

Oral cancer occurs in the mouth (oral cavity), while oropharyngeal cancer starts in the middle part of the throat, just at the back of the mouth. These two areas include the lips, the inside lining of the lips and cheeks, the salivary glands, the teeth, the gums, the tongue, the floor of the mouth below the tongue, the bony roof of the mouth (hard palate), the area at the back of your mouth (soft palate), tonsils, and the sides and back of the throat.¹

Cancer starts when cells in your body grow out of control. According to the National Cancer Institute, most incidents of oral cancer begin in the flat (squamous) cells that form in the lining of the mouth and throat. These cancers are called squamous cell carcinomas.¹

Common symptoms of oral cancer include:²

• Sore on lip or in the mouth that does not heal
• Pain in the mouth that does not go away
• White or red patches on the gums, tongue, tonsils, or lining of the mouth
• Lumps or thickening in lips, mouth or cheeks
• Sore throat or feeling of something in throat that does not go away
• Trouble chewing or swallowing; trouble moving the jaw or tongue
• Numbness of the tongue, lips, or other areas of the mouth
• Swelling or pain in the jaw
• Loosening of the teeth, pain around the teeth, or dentures that become ill-fitting or uncomfortable
• Pain in the ear
• Voice changes
• A lump or mass in the back of throat or neck

Many of these symptoms can also be caused by diseases that are not cancer.² But it’s still important to see your dentist if any of these conditions last more than two weeks so that the cause can be found and treated.²

A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood of getting a disease. Some risk factors can be avoided (like smoking) and some cannot (like age and family history). Having a risk factor or even many does not mean you will get the disease.³

Research points to certain risk factors that could increase the likelihood of developing oral cancer. The chart includes some of the more common risk factors. By reducing your exposure to these risks, you may help reduce your chances of developing oral cancer.

There is no routine screening test for oral cancer or oropharyngeal cancer. But many pre-cancer areas and these cancers can be found early during routine dental visits.⁵

This is another reason it’s important that you visit your dentist regularly for a routine dental checkup. An oral cancer screening should be a part of a full dental exam.⁵ Your dentist will check your mouth and throat for red or white patches, lumps, swelling, or other problems.

Any sore, discoloration, bumps in tissue, irritation, hoarseness, complaints of difficulty in swallowing or earaches, which do not resolve within two weeks should be considered suspect and worthy of further examination or referral.⁶

If your dentist identifies a suspicious area, he or she may perform a brush biopsy of the area, using a small brush to gather cell samples. The specimen is then sent to a lab for computer analysis. Your dentist may also recommend an incisional biopsy, where the dentist removes part of the suspicious area for further laboratory testing.⁶ The only way to diagnose oral cancer is through biopsy.⁶

For more on oral cancer, its prevention and treatment, oral health, and quitting tobacco, visit the following web sites:

For information about oral cancer and oral health:

• American Cancer Society at cancer.org
• The Oral Cancer Foundation at oralcancerfoundation.org
• National Cancer Institute at cancer.gov
• American Dental Association at ada.org

For information about quitting tobacco:
The Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER can talk with callers about ways to quit smoking and about groups that offer help to smokers who want to quit. Groups offer counseling in person or by phone. The Federal Government provides a free smoking cessation web site at smokefree.gov.