By menakerfront
April 12, 2012
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: Untagged

 

4 ~ What are the risk factors for oral cancer?

Tobacco: Tobacco use accounts for most oral cancers.  Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; using chewing tobacco; and dipping snuff are all linked to oral cancer.  The use of other tobacco products such as bidis, kreteks, and betel nut, may also increase the risk of oral cancer.  Heavy smokers who use tobacco for a long time are most at risk.  The risk is even higher for tobacco users who drink alcohol heavily.  In fact, three out of four oral cancers occur in people who use alcohol, tobacco, or both alcohol and tobacco.

Alcohol: People who drink alcohol are more likely to develop oral cancer than people who don't drink. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol that a person consumes.  The risk increases even more if the person both drinks alcohol and uses tobacco.

Sun: Cancer of the lip can be caused by exposure to the sun.  Using a lotion or lip balm that has a sunscreen can reduce the risk.  Wearing a hat with a brim can also block the sun's harmful rays. The risk of cancer of the lip increases if the person also smokes.

A personal history of head and neck cancer: People who have had head and neck cancer are at increased risk of developing another primary head and neck cancer.  Smoking increases this risk.

Exposure to HPV16 Virus (the human papilloma virus strain #16): Check out more about this in our next blog.

 

Resources:

http://oralcancerfoundation.org/

http://www.medicinenet.com/oral_cancer/article.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002030/

 

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Comments:





Cosmetic Dentist - Charlotte, Smile Charlotte and Menaker/Rodney Dentistry, 2711 Randolph Road, Charlotte NC, 28207 704-377-2503