The Causes of Mouth Cancer

Following on from my last post about Mouth Cancer Action Month, let's look at the causes of Mouth Cancer.

These are the main ones:

SMOKING

Smoking is considered the number one cause of mouth cancer, and the cancers linked to smoking tend to have the lowest survival rates. This is a worry because about a fifth of the UK's population smoke.

According to the World Health Organization, up to a half of all current smokers will die of a tobacco-related disease, including mouth cancer.

ALCOHOL

Excess drinking increases the risk of getting mouth cancer by 4 times.

People who smoke and drink are 30 TIMES more likely to develop mouth cancer.

POOR DIET

Around a third of mouth cancer cases are believed to be linked to an unhealthy diet. A daily 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, Omega 3 and high fibre foods help significantly to reduce this figure.

SMOKELESS TOBACCO

These are tobacco products that are not burned but are placed in the mouth or nose. While these may be less likely to cause lung cancer, they are much more dangerous in terms of mouth cancer.

The main types of smokeless tobacco used in the UK are:

Pan Masala (betel quid), Gutka, Khaini, Maras powder, Shammah . These are sucked or chewed.
Qiwam, Zarda, Mawa. These are chewed.
Gadakhu, Gul, Lal dantmanjan, Creamy snuff. These are dental products which are used as toothpaste or rubbed on the gums.
Nass. This can be sucked, chewed or snuffed up the nose.

Smokeless tabacco products are used mainly by people, especially women, in South Asian communities. South Asian women have a higher rate of mouth cancer than any other group.

HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS (HPV)

HPV, a recognized factor in cervical cancer, is now known to play a part in oral cancer when transmitted via oral sex and young people are particularly at risk. A recent study in the USA has connected 20000 cases of mouth cancer to HPV over the last 5 years - and the number of cases is increasing every year.

So, in the words of an old cop show, be careful out there.

Statistics supplied by The British Dental Health Foundation