Can Oral Cancer Affect You?

Oral cancers refer to a group of cancers that develop in the head and neck area, not including brain cancer. Of all the head and neck cancers, oral cancers comprise about 85 percent.

While most people think that if they don’t smoke they need not worry about oral cancer, that is not necessarily true. Oral cancer can affect you whether or not you are a smoker. Take our quiz below to find out how much you know about oral cancer.

True or False?

1. T or F: Oral cancers mostly strike people over the age of 40.
2. T or F: HPV or the human papilloma virus can also cause oral cancer.
3. T or F: Oral cancers can easily go undetected.

Answers:

1. F: Although there was a time when the majority of people who developed oral cancer were over 40 years of age, it now occurs more frequently in those under the age of 40. Recent data indicates that the population of non-smokers under the age of fifty are quickly becoming the most common group to develop oral cancer.
2. T: The reason that there has been a paradigm shift in the age demographics regarding oral cancer is due to HPV. HPV, HPV16 in particular, has been proven to cause oral cancers, especially those that occur in the back of the mouth. A common, sexually transmitted virus, HPV infects about 40 million Americans and has about 200 strains. However, the majority of strains are thought to be harmless.
3. T: One of the real dangers of oral cancer is that it can go undetected in its earliest stages. It often can be painless, and unnoticeable. That is why it has one of the highest morbidity rates. However, during your biannual exams, Dr. Hutto will thoroughly check your lips, gums, tongue, palate, oral and throat tissues for signs that might cause concern, as well as teach show you how to perform monthly self-examinations at home.

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