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 |