Facts and Figures
How many cases?
• Latest recorded figures (2008) figures show 5,790 new cases of mouth cancer a year are diagnosed in the UK.
• The number of annual mouth cancer cases increased by a staggering 45.9% between 1997 and 2008.
• In the UK, Scotland has the highest mouth cancer incidence rate of all the countries.
• Worldwide, an estimated 405,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
• The latest figures show that cancer of the lip is three times more common in men than in women.
• 87% of cases in the UK occur in people aged 50 or over.
Some shocking statistics
• 1,822 people died from mouth cancer in 2008.
• Under half of those diagnosed survive beyond five years of diagnosis.
• Over two thirds of mouth cancer cases are detected at a late stage, reducing chances of survival.
• Early detection transforms survival chances to more than 90%.
• Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined.
What are the risk factors?
• Tobacco use and drinking alcohol are the main risk factors and account for around three in four cases of mouth cancers.
• People who both drink and use tobacco to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the condition.
• Non-smokers who are exposed to second hand smoke at home or at work are two thirds more likely to develop the disease.
• Mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, though an increasing number of young people are developing the condition.
• 50 years ago mouth cancer was five times more common in men than women. Now it is only twice as common.
• US studies relate the human papilloma virus (HPV) to more than 20,000 cancer cases in the past five years.
• The possibility of mouth cancer remains higher for ex-smokers for 20 years or more after quitting when compared to non-smokers.
Useful websites:
• www.mouthcancer.org
• www.cancerresearchuk.org
• www.savingfaces.co.uk
• www.heads2gether.net
• www.mouthcancerfoundation.org
(Source: Cancer Research UK 2011)