This brochure is an informational service, and is not intended to interfere with or replace the relationship you have with your own doctor. You are encouraged to use the information from this brochure to facilitate proper care. Each year in the United States, over 29,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity, lips and pharynx are diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society. The good news is that the death rate from oral cancers has been decreasing since the mid-1980's. If detected early, before the cancer has spread, these diseases are very treatable and can often be cured.
Oral cancer is a term that refers to cancer of the mouth, lip, tongue and pharynx.
The pharynx is the part of the throat at the back of the mouth - including the back of the tongue, the soft palate, tonsils and back of the throat. Salivary glands throughout the mouth make saliva, which moistens the mouth and helps digest food. Like other parts of the body, the pharynx and oral cavity are made up of many types of cells. Almost all oral cancers are cancer of the squamous cells. Squamous cells line the oral cavity and pharynx.