Cancer Research UK has revealed that mouth (oral) cancer has increased by 68 per cent in the UK over the last 20 years.
The latest figures from Mouth Cancer Action Month show that oral cancer in men aged under 50 has jumped by 67 per cent in the last 20 years – rising from 340 to 640 cases per year.
For men aged 50 and over, rates have increased by 59 per cent climbing from 2,100 cases to 4,400 cases per year.
Oral cancer is still more common in men, but there have been similar increases in women.
For women aged under 50, oral cancer rates have risen by 71 per cent in the last 20 years, with annual cases climbing from 160 to 300.
For women aged 50 and over, rates have also gone up by 71 per cent, with cases increasing from 1,100 to 2,200 annually.
9 in 10 cases are linked to lifestyle and other risk factors. Smoking is the biggest avoidable risk factor, linked to an estimated 65 per cent of cases. Other risk factors include alcohol, diets low in fruit and vegetables, and infections such as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
Oral cancer includes cancer of the lips, tongue, mouth (gums and palate), tonsils and the middle part of the throat.
Oral cancer screening is part of our routine examination and we offer free oral cancer screening to any non-registered patients. If you are concerned about anything, then please don’t hesitate and make an appointment today!
Back to Blog