Oral cancer and precancer as diseases of the aged

Abstract

Some cancers, especially sarcomas, favor younger age groups, whereas others, particularly carcinomas, are most likely to develop in older age groups. The relative frequency, mortality and morbidity rates are defined using lip and tongue cancer as examples. The paper demonstrates how oral cancer rates increase with age. For tongue cancer there is a worsening of the prognosis with advancing age. The synergistic effect of tobacco and alcohol and its relation to age is also dealt with. For leukoplakia there is also a higher rate with increasing age, although there is a shift towards younger ages when compared with oral cancer. Tobacco, age and leukoplakia are also discussed. The increased cancer and precancer rate in older people may be due to age changes in the oral mucosa making it more vulnerable to the action of carcinogens.