Living with oral cancer: epidemiology with particular reference to prevalence and life-style changes that influence survival

Abstract

This review presents data on incidence, mortality, survival and trends on cancers of the lip, oral cavity and oropharynx using available recent data sources around the world. Oral and pharyngeal cancer, grouped together is the sixth most common cancer in the world. The review focuses primarily on prevalence of people still alive after an oral cancer diagnosis. In the world, there is close to a three quarter of a million people who previously had oral cancer and alive at 5years after diagnosis. The proportion alive at 5years is lower in less developed countries compared to earlier years. Within in Europe highest prevalence at 5years is seen in Western Europe. Our prevention strategies for this high risk group should include offering smoking cessation and other risk reduction measures. Smoking cessation in particular improves prognostic outcomes reducing the risk of secondary disease by approximately 2-3-fold.