A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family.
Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of other cancer risk factors agents, such as human papilloma viruses (HPV) and irradiation.
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The main known definitive risk factors for mouth cancer are using tobacco and drinking alcohol: it is thought that about 3 out of 4 head and neck cancers (75%) are linked to tobacco or alcohol use (Articles 3 and 4). Other risk factors include radiation (eg sunlight, ionizing) which predisposes to lip cancer, and infections such as with the human papilloma viruses (HPV), which play a role mainly in oropharyngeal cancer. Immune defects or immunosuppression underlie some cases of mouth cancer.
The cause of cancer in most people is still unknown but risk depends on a combination of genes, environment and aspects of our lives (Article 1). It is impossible to control some mouth cancer risk factors, such as gender and age. However, many other factors can be controlled – modifiable risk factors – and many of these relate to the lifestyle chosen. Environmental and genetic factors may play a role but are generally less important than the modifiable lifestyle risk factors. Some risk factors are definitive and others are only possible risk factors.
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