Causes of Oral Cancer

There are flat cells in the tissues all over the body, including in the oral cavity, called squamous cells. Oral cancer starts when the DNA in these cells changes, causing them to grow and multiply at an uncontrolled rate. These cancerous cells can then spread to other parts of the body.

What causes mouth cancer isn’t always certain, but particular risk factors can increase the likelihood of a person developing oral cancer. These include:

DRINKING ALCOHOL

Most people already know that excessive alcohol consumption is bad for your health in many ways, causing organ damage to the liver, digestive system, brain, and more.

Did you know regularly drinking a lot of alcohol can also increase the risk of developing several different cancers? Consuming even one alcoholic drink every day can increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer by 15%, according to Alcohol Change UK.

UV OVEREXPOSURE

Similarly, many people are aware that spending too much time in direct sunlight or using sunbeds for tanning can damage DNA cells and increase the risk of skin cancer.

However, they may forget that this includes the lips. The head and neck are most exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, and if you don’t apply sunscreen on your lips, you could become one of around 1.5 million people a year who get skin cancer globally.

CANCER HISTORY

As with most types of cancer, if your family has a history of relatives with oral cancer, you may be more likely to develop it yourself due to inherited genetic risk factors.

Unfortunately, if you have already had cancer before, there is also an increased risk that you could get cancer again. One study found that 15% of cancer survivors developed a second cancer, with a 55% risk of it being a different cancer and 68% the same cancer.

AGE AND GENDER

As we age, our cells are more prone to damage because of biological factors and long-term exposure to risk factors, including environmental carcinogens.

It makes sense, then, that most oral cancer cases occur later in life – though it’s less known why men are more likely to get mouth cancer than women. The Mouth Cancer Foundation reports that 78% of oral cancer patients are over 55 years old, and 68% are men.

SMOKING (TOBACCO)

Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes – or chewing ‘smokeless’ tobacco products, including betel nut or paan masala – can massively increase your risk of getting oral cancer.

According to ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), smoking is responsible for around 1 in 5 of all cancers throughout the body, including the oral cavity. Oral cancer is 91% higher in people who smoke compared to people who have never smoked.

OTHER RISK FACTORS

There are plenty more risk factors for mouth cancer that aren’t as well known as the previously mentioned causes, including poor diet and excess body weight.

If you have a weak immune system, whether from immunosuppressant medication or a condition like HIV or AIDS, your body is less capable of fighting off infections, which can increase the risk of developing many health complications, including various cancers.

Mouth cancer, in particular, has been linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), because it can be transmitted through oral sexual activity, despite being more widely known for causing cervical cancer – HPV vaccines are available to help reduce these risks.