Approximately 75 percent of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers are attributed to the use of smoked and smokeless tobacco. Those who chew tobacco are at high risk for gum and cheek lesions that can lead to cancer.
Alcohol consumption is another risk factor.
Combinations of tobacco and alcohol are believed to represent substantially greater risk factors than either substance consumed alone. Oral cancer accounts for two to four percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States, but relative survival rates are among the lowest of major cancers. Only one-half the number of persons diagnosed with oral cancer are alive five years after the diagnosis. Survival rates for oral cancer in minorities have decreased. Incidence of oral cancer varies greatly throughout the world.