Cancers less than a half inch across usually can be cured easily. Unfortunately, most oral cancers aren't diagnosed until they've spread to the lymph nodes of the jaw and neck. Risk Factors People who use alcohol and tobacco are at greatest risk of developing oral cancer. The combination of alcohol and tobacco is more likely to cause cancer than either of them alone. About two thirds of oral cancers occur in men, but increased tobacco use among women over the past few decades is gradually closing the gender gap.
Cigarette smoking is more likely to cause oral cancer than cigar or pipe smoking.
People who have had one oral cancer are at increased risk of developing another cancer. Cancers on the tongue and floor of the mouth are usually squamous cell carcinomas. Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer of the blood vessels near the skin. In those who use chewing tobacco and snuff, the insides of the cheeks and lips are common sites of cancer. Melanoma, a cancer that usually occurs on the skin, occurs less commonly in the mouth.