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About 34,000 people are diagnosed with cancers of the mouth and oropharynx in the United States each year. However, oral cancers are much more common in other countries, especially Hungary and France, and some 480,000 cases are diagnosed annually worldwide. Almost all oral cancers occur in squamous cells, which line the mouth and oropharynx. These are called squamous cell carcinomas.
Mouth cancer occurs most commonly in the tongue, the floor of the mouth and the lips. It can also begin in the gums, teeth, salivary glands, the lining of the lips and cheeks, the roof of the mouth and behind the wisdom teeth.
Oropharynx cancer, also known as oropharyngeal cancer, starts in the area just behind the mouth (oropharynx), but can also occur in the back of the tongue, the back of the mouth and the uvula, the tonsils, and the back and side walls of the throat.
More than half of patients are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. The chance of successful treatment of mouth and oropharynx cancers are highest when it is found early.
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