A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a
disease.
Tobacco use is the
most common risk factor for cancers of the mouth and throat. Smokers are
at much higher risk for mouth cancer than non-smokers. Approximately 90%
of mouth and oropharyngeal cases occur in smokers. Users of smokeless
tobacco (snuff and chewing tobacco) are 50 times more likely than
non-users to get cancers of the gums, cheeks, and inner lips.
Second-hand smoke is a
risk factor of cancers in general.
Alcohol, when used
frequently increases the risk of cancer to not only the mouth, but also
the throat, esophagus (food pipe), pancreas, and stomach.
Poor dental hygiene: the
bacteria found in saliva create plaque (waste products that stick
to and harden on the teeth). Plaque itself does not create cancer, but it
does create an environment where other chemicals (like the ones found in
smoke) can settle in. Such irritants stimulate excess cell division in the
mouth, and the more the more they divide, the more likely it is that one
of them will become cancerous.
Poor nutrition is a
risk factor for mouth and oropharynx cancers, specifically a diet low in
fruits and vegetables.
Ultraviolet light exposure:
People exposed to a lot of sun are at a higher risk of lip cancer. Over
30% of all lip cancer patients have jobs that require them to work
outdoors in the sunlight.
Betel nut chewing is a
popular practice in India
and other parts of South Asia. This practice is strongly
associated with tooth loss and mouth cancer, specifically in the cheeks.
Some sexually transmitted
infections and viruses can lead to cancer. Such infections cause slow
healing mouth sores, which in turn forces chronic cell division as the
tissue attempts to heal itself.
A compromised immune
system, related to other medical conditions or treatments of other
medical conditions.
Plummer-Vinson syndrome
is responsible for a very small number of oral cancers. This is a rare
combination of iron deficiency and abnormalities of the fingernails,
esophagus, tongue, and red blood cells.
A history of cancer in
the area that ranges from the nose and mouth to the lungs and stomach (the
aero-digestive tract).
Gender: cancers of the
throat and mouth are twice as common in men as women, which may or may not
be due to the fact that more men use tobacco and alcohol.