What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer starts in the cells of the mouth. A cancerous (malignant) tumour is a group of cancer cells that can grow into nearby tissue and destroy it. The tumour can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Oral cancer may also be called oral cavity cancer or mouth cancer.
Cells in the mouth sometimes change and no longer grow or behave normally. These changes may lead to non-cancerous (benign) conditions such as warts, fibromas, canker sores and cold sores.
Changes to cells of the mouth can also cause precancerous conditions. This means that the abnormal cells are not yet cancer, but there is a chance that they will become cancer if they aren't treated. The most common precancerous condition of the mouth is oral epithelial dysplasia.
But in some cases, changes to the cells of the mouth can cause oral cancer. Most often, oral cancer starts in thin, flat cells called squamous cells. These cells make up the mucous membrane that lines the mouth (the oral mucosa). This type of cancer is called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the mouth.
Rare types of oral cancer can also develop. These include salivary gland cancer, melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma.
The mouth
Cancerous tumours of the mouth
Precancerous conditions of the mouth
Non-cancerous conditions of the mouth
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