
- About 80% of men and women with oral cancer use some type of tobacco – including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and pipes.
- 40% of those who receive late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer pass away within five years. The survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 90%.
- In many cases, it is difficult for someone to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancers on their own, because they can produce indistinct symptoms or no symptoms at all. Any abnormality in the mouth or throat, even if small and painless, should be evaluated by a dentist or doctor.
- HPV is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. Of the many strains of HPV, HPV16 is the one most often linked to oropharyngeal cancer.
- African American men have a higher risk of dying from oral cancer than do other ethnicities.