Oral Cancer

    Fast Facts | Key Research | More Resources

Oral Cancer: Fast Facts

   

• Oral cancer occurs in two ways: as oral-cavity cancer, which starts in the mouth, and as oropharyngeal cancer, which develops in the part of the throat just behind the mouth (the oropharynx).
• Oral cancer can affect the cheeks, tongue, mouth and/or throat.
• Major risk factors for oral cancer include: smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco or betel quid; consuming alcohol; and being infected with human papillomavirus.
• More than 80 percent of patients whose oral cancer is diagnosed early will survive. Unfortunately, however, the majority of oral cancers are not diagnosed until the disease has advanced.

Read more about oral-cancer prevention, symptoms and treatment options at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. »

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Oral Cancer: Some of Our Key Research

   

Determining oral-cancer risk factors

• Drs. Stephen Schwartz, Chu Chen and colleagues are working to gain a better understanding of the interplay of genetic, virologic and lifestyle characteristics in the origins and prognosis of oral cancers. They have found a connection between oral-cancer risk and evidence of both human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) in the blood.
  
  They are also studying a variety of genes known or suspected of playing a role in the consequences of exposures to tobacco, alcohol, and viruses. The goal is to broaden scientific knowledge about the interactions between a patient's environment and genetic risk for oral cancer.

• Contrary to previous research findings that suggested a link, marijuana use does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing oral cancer, according to a multi-institution study led by Dr. Stephen Schwartz and colleagues.
  
  The study, which was the most comprehensive of its kind to date, found no connection between marijuana use and increased oral-cancer risk, regardless of how long, how much or how often a person used marijuana. The study also found no increased risk among marijuana users who had other underlying risk factors for oral cancer, such as a history of tobacco use or heavy alcohol use. Learn more. »

Mapping oral cancer's progression
At the moment, it is difficult for doctors to predict how oral-cancer patients will respond to certain therapies and whether, for example, they would benefit from particularly aggressive treatments like surgery, which can cause facial disfiguring and psychological stress.

Research led by Drs. Chu Chen, Stephen Schwartz, Eduardo Mendez and colleagues focuses on pinpointing the genetic changes associated with oral-cancer risk and progression. Such genetic patterns could be used to predict the aggressiveness of a patient's cancer and, ultimately, guide a doctor's choice of therapy based on a patient's prognosis.

Using techniques that permit the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes, our researchers have identified sets of genes for which expression changes may be related to oral-cancer progression and survival. They're working to validate these findings in additional study populations. They're also assessing whether these genes would be useful to doctors for predicting recurrence, metastasis and survival in oral-cancer patients. This research also factors in participants' demographic information and lifestyle habits, including diet and use of alcohol, tobacco and medication. Learn more. »

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Oral Cancer: More Resources

   

• Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials that test innovative medical approaches on patients. Find out more about clinical trials on oral cancer. »

• The Hutchinson Center also conducts ongoing cancer-prevention studies that depend on participation of healthy volunteers. Learn more about getting involved in research studies. » 

• In need of medical attention for oral cancer? Visit the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to get help. »

• The Hutchinson Center is on a mission to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death, and you can help. Make a gift today. »

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