Male

Incidence per 100,000

Female

Incidence of Oral Cancer by Gender and Race

Source: National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program web site 2008

All Races

Percent Surviving After 5 Years

Oral Cancer 5-Year Relative Survival Rate by Stage at Diagnosis

Source: National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) web site 2008

 

 

 

 

Oral C Oral Cancer Statistics 

Oral Cancer in the United States 

Overview 

Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth and pharynx (the back of the throat). 

Oral cancer accounts for roughly two percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United 

States. Approximately 35,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year and about 

7,600 will die from the disease. 

Stage at Diagnosis: Effects on Treatment Options and Survival 

If oral cancer is caught when the disease is still localized (when it has not spread beyond the 

original tumor site), the 5-year relative survival rate is 82 percent. However, half of oral 

cancers are not diagnosed until the cancer 

has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes 

(regional cancer). At this stage, the 5-year 

relative survival rate drops to 53 percent. 

And those diagnosed when the cancer has 

spread further, to distant organs, have only 

a 28 percent 5-year relative survival rate. 

Treatment for very early stage oral cancer 

may only require minor surgery to remove 

the cancer. In contrast, treatments required 

for later stage diagnosis can be extensive and 

disfiguring, and make it difficult to eat and 

swallow. These treatments may include surgery 

to remove parts of the lip, tongue, cheek, jaw, 

or neck. Chemotherapy and radiation to the 

head and neck can cause jaw pain and mouth 

sores, and salivary glands can cease to function. 

Regional

Distant

Localized

Oral Cancer 5-Year Relative Survival Rate by Stage at Diagnosis 

Source: Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2005 

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute 

SEER 17, Diagnosis Years 2000-2004 and SEER 13, Diagnosis Years 1996-2004 

100% 

All Races 

Localized 

Regional 

Distant 

Percent Surviving After 5 Years 

80% 

60%

40% 

20% 

0% 

African American Men and Oral Cancer 

Incidence (number 

of new cases) 

African American men are 

at the highest risk of developing 

oral cancer compared to any 

other group in the U.S. 

population. Between 2001 

and 2005 the incidence rate 

among African American men 

was 17 per 100,000. 

Incidence of Oral Cancer by Gender and Race 

Source: Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2005 

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute 

SEER 17, Diagnosis Years 2001-2005 

20

White 

African American 

Asian/Pacific Islander 

American Indian/Alaska Native 

Hispanic 

Male Female 

18

16

Incidence per 100,000 

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0
All Stages

Oral Cancer 5-Year Relative Survival Rate for Males by Stage at Diagnosis

Source: National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) based on 

November 2006 submission of SEER Series 9 (1996-2003)

Percent Surviving After 5 Years

Localized Regional Distant

Oral C Oral Cancer Statistics 

Survival 

The difference in survival rates between African American men and white men 

is staggering—61 percent of white men survive more than 5 years but only 

36 percent of African American males live that long with the disease. 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

African American 

White 

Oral Cancer 5-Year Relative Survival Rate for Males by Stage at Diagnosis 

Source: Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2005 

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute 

All Stages 

Percent Surviving After 5 Years 

Localized Regional Distant 

Importance of Early Detection 

It’s important to find oral cancer early when it can be treated more 

successfully. Educating African American men about oral cancer’s signs 

and symptoms—and the need to see a dentist or doctor if symptoms last 

more than 2 weeks—are key steps toward improving survival. 

Additional Reading 

Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer Stat Fact Sheet. Surveillance, Epidemiology, 

and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, 

http://www.seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/oralcav.html. 

Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Stinchcomb DG, Howlader N, 

Horner MJ, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, Altekruse SF, Lewis DR, 

Clegg L, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer 

Statistics Review, 1975-2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, 

http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/, based on November 2007 SEER 

data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2008. 

Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, 

http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/. 

For additional 

copies of this fact 

sheet contact: 

National Institute of Dental 

and Craniofacial Research 

National Oral Health 

Information Clearinghouse 

1 NOHIC Way 

Bethesda, Maryland 

20892-3500 

1–866–232–4528 

www.nidcr.nih.gov 

This publication is not 

copyrighted. Make as 

many copies as you need. 

NIH Publication 

No: 10-6423 

Reprinted June 2010