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Oral Cancer in the United States
Overview
Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth and pharynx (the back of the throat).
Oral cancer accounts for roughly two percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. Approximately 35,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year and about 7,600 will die from the disease.
Stage at Diagnosis: Effects on Treatment Options and Survival
If oral cancer is caught when the disease is still localized (when it has not spread beyond the original tumor site), the 5-year relative survival rate is 82 percent. However, half of oral cancers are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes (regional cancer). At this stage, the 5-year relative survival rate drops to 53 percent. And those diagnosed when the cancer has spread further, to distant organs, have only a 28 percent 5-year relative survival rate.
Treatment for very early stage oral cancer may only require minor surgery to remove the cancer. In contrast, treatments required for later stage diagnosis can be extensive and disfiguring, and make it difficult to eat and swallow. These treatments may include surgery to remove parts of the lip, tongue, cheek, jaw, or neck. Chemotherapy and radiation to the head and neck can cause jaw pain and mouth sores, and salivary glands can cease to function.
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African American Men and Oral Cancer
Incidence (number of new cases)
African American men are at the highest risk of developing oral cancer compared to any other group in the U.S. population. Between 2001 and 2005 the incidence rate among African American men was 17 per 100,000.
Survival
The difference in survival rates between African American men and white men is staggering—61 percent of white men survive more than 5 years but only 36 percent of African American males live that long with the disease.
Importance of Early Detection
It’s important to find oral cancer early when it can be treated more successfully. Educating African American men about oral cancer’s signs and symptoms—and the need to see a dentist or doctor if symptoms last more than 2 weeks—are key steps toward improving survival. |
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Additional Reading
Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer Stat Fact Sheet. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://www.seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/oralcav.html. 
Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Stinchcomb DG, Howlader N, Horner MJ, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, Altekruse SF, Lewis DR, Clegg L, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/, based on November 2007 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2008.Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/.
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NIH Publication No: 08-6423
Printed October 2008
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