Oral cancer rates have increased approximately 15% from the mid 1970s until the latest (2004) National Cancer Institute Survey. There are significant disparities in some population groups, with higher rates of increase in minority men.
Table 1 presents oral cancer incidence rates for adult men and women of all age groups and for selected racial and ethnic groups.
Oral Cancer Incidence (Table 1)
- Overall, 10.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer.
- Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females.
- Oral cancer rates are higher for Hispanic and Black males than for White males.
- Oral cancer rates increase with age. The increase becomes more rapid after age 50 and peaks between ages 60 and 70.
Table 1: Oral Cancer Incidence by Age, Race, and Gender
Incidence of oral cancer in cases per 100,000, by selected characteristics
Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute
Surveillance Research Program, based on November 2006 submission of SEER Series 17 (2000–2004)
|
Race |
Gender |
All Ages |
0 to 19 |
20 to 29 |
30 to 39 |
40 to 49 |
50 to 59 |
60 to 69 |
70 to 79 |
80+ |
|
All Races |
All |
10.5 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
2.3 |
8.7 |
21.5 |
34.1 |
40.9 |
40.0 |
|
Male |
15.6 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
2.8 |
12.9 |
33.6 |
52.2 |
60.2 |
59.2 |
|
Female |
6.1 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
1.9 |
4.6 |
10.0 |
18.0 |
26.4 |
29.6 |
|
White |
All |
10.6 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
2.1 |
8.4 |
21.4 |
34.7 |
42.4 |
41.0 |
|
Male |
15.7 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
2.6 |
12.6 |
33.4 |
52.9 |
61.8 |
61.2 |
|
Female |
6.1 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
1.6 |
4.3 |
9.8 |
18/.4 |
27.6 |
30.2 |
|
Black |
All |
11.1 |
0.3 |
0.8 |
2.4 |
10.6 |
27.0 |
37.0 |
37.6 |
29.2 |
|
Male |
18.1 |
0.4 |
0.8 |
2.9 |
15.6 |
45.6 |
63.3 |
65.1 |
46.7 |
|
Female |
5.7 |
0.2 |
0.8 |
2.0 |
6.3 |
11.4 |
16.4 |
19.4 |
20.4 |
|
American Indian/Alaska Native |
All |
7.1 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
2.1 |
7.0 |
17.2 |
25.3 |
23.9 |
13.6 |
|
Male |
10.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
2.9 |
9.5 |
22.5 |
39.5 |
32.9 |
22.6 |
|
Female |
4.6 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.4 |
4.6 |
12.2 |
13.0 |
16.5 |
9.0 |
|
Asian or Pacific Islander |
All |
7.9 |
0.2 |
1.2 |
3.6 |
8.1 |
14.7 |
23.6 |
24.5 |
32.5 |
|
Male |
10.8 |
0.1 |
1.3 |
4.2 |
11.5 |
21.4 |
33.7 |
35.5 |
38.1 |
|
Female |
5.4 |
0.2 |
1.1 |
3.0 |
4.9 |
8.8 |
15.2 |
16.5 |
28.6 |
|
Hispanic |
All |
6.2 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
4.6 |
10.9 |
20.1 |
26.1 |
28.1 |
|
Male |
9.3 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.6 |
6.4 |
16.7 |
33.6 |
38.9 |
41.1 |
|
Female |
3.6 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
5.4 |
8.8 |
16.8 |
21.0 |
|
White Hispanic |
All |
6.3 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
4.6 |
11.1 |
20.4 |
26.7 |
28.4 |
|
Male |
9.5 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.6 |
6.5 |
17.1 |
34.0 |
39.8 |
41.4 |
|
Female |
3.6 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
2.7 |
5.4 |
9.0 |
17.0 |
21.2 |
|
White Non-Hispanic |
All |
11.2 |
0.2 |
0.9 |
2.4 |
9.3 |
23.0 |
36.7 |
44.5 |
41.9 |
|
Male |
16.6 |
0.2 |
0.9 |
2.9 |
13.8 |
35.7 |
54.9 |
64.3 |
62.0 |
|
Female |
6.6 |
0.2 |
0.9 |
1.8 |
4.7 |
10.6 |
20.0 |
29.3 |
31.0 |