Incidence

Incidence

There are approximately 350 /uni00A0 000 new cases of oral cavity cancer per year worldwide. The vast majority of these are squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In 2015, the estimated age-standardised ratio of oral cavity cancer was 5.8 in men and 2.3 in women per 100 /uni00A0 000. This 2:1 ratio has narrowed recently but still probably reflects the higher consumption of alcohol and tobacco by men worldwide. Two-thirds of all oral cancers occur in low-income countries, with half of those in South Asia. India, for example, has 100 /uni00A0 000 new cases per annum. Rates of oral cancer vary significantly worldwide. High- incidence areas include South East Asia, Papua New Guinea, parts of western Europe (e.g. Portugal and France), parts of eastern Europe (e.g. Slovakia and Hungary), as well as areas in - Latin America (e.g. Brazil). The incidence of oral cancer increases with age, with most cases occurring in those over 50 years. The mean age at presentation is 62 years, with a strong correlation between lo wer socioeconomic class and disease incidence. However, there is an increasing trend for cases a ff ecting younger patients (45 /uni00A0 years or younger), many of whom lack exposure to tradi - tional risk factors. The 5-year survival rate for early-stage cancers is 80%. Despite recent advances, the overall 5-year survival for oral cancer has not markedly improved and remains at 50%. In South Asia, this figure is often below 50%, with a reported 5-y ear survival of 35% in India.

Broad steps necessary for investigation and management • of oral cavity cancers

Incidence

There are approximately 350 /uni00A0 000 new cases of oral cavity cancer per year worldwide. The vast majority of these are squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In 2015, the estimated age-standardised ratio of oral cavity cancer was 5.8 in men and 2.3 in women per 100 /uni00A0 000. This 2:1 ratio has narrowed recently but still probably reflects the higher consumption of alcohol and tobacco by men worldwide. Two-thirds of all oral cancers occur in low-income countries, with half of those in South Asia. India, for example, has 100 /uni00A0 000 new cases per annum. Rates of oral cancer vary significantly worldwide. High- incidence areas include South East Asia, Papua New Guinea, parts of western Europe (e.g. Portugal and France), parts of eastern Europe (e.g. Slovakia and Hungary), as well as areas in - Latin America (e.g. Brazil). The incidence of oral cancer increases with age, with most cases occurring in those over 50 years. The mean age at presentation is 62 years, with a strong correlation between lo wer socioeconomic class and disease incidence. However, there is an increasing trend for cases a ff ecting younger patients (45 /uni00A0 years or younger), many of whom lack exposure to tradi - tional risk factors. The 5-year survival rate for early-stage cancers is 80%. Despite recent advances, the overall 5-year survival for oral cancer has not markedly improved and remains at 50%. In South Asia, this figure is often below 50%, with a reported 5-y ear survival of 35% in India.

Broad steps necessary for investigation and management • of oral cavity cancers