Are there risk factors I can avoid?
More than 58,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year. Men are more than twice as likely to develop oral cancer as women, and traditionally, most all patients are over age 40. However, the disease is beginning to show up more in younger people, possibly in association with HPV. You can alter your chances for developing oral cancer by avoiding these lifestyle factors:
- All forms of tobacco. This includes cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff. The younger you are when you start using tobacco and the longer you’ve used it, the greater your risk.
- Heavy alcohol use. Drinking two or more alcoholic drinks a day increases your risk.
- Sun exposure. Extensive exposure to the sun, especially without sunscreen, increases your risk for lip cancer.
- Poor diet. Research has suggested that not eating enough fruits and vegetables can increase the risk for oral and oropharyngeal cancers.
- Chronic mouth irritation. Poorly fitted dentures or other items that irritate the lining of the mouth may increase the risk.