Oral cancer rates soar over 20 years

Oral cancers include cancer of the lips, tongue, mouth (gums and palate), tonsils and the middle part of the throat (oropharynx) **.

The figures – released during Mouth Cancer Action Month – reveal the cancer is on the rise for men and women, young and old, climbing from eight to 13 cases per 100,000 people over the last two decades.

For men under 50, the rate has jumped by 67 per cent in the last 20 years*** – going up from around 340 cases to around 640 cases each year.

For men aged 50 and over, rates have increased by 59 per cent, climbing from around 2,100 cases to around 4,400 cases annually.

Oral cancer is more common in men, but there have been similar increases women****.

In women under 50, oral cancer rates have risen by 71 per cent in the last 20 years, with annual cases climbing from around 160 to around 300.

Rates for women over 50 have also gone up by 71 per cent, with cases increasing from around 1,100 to around 2,200.