What Are the Risk Factors for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Caner?
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. For example, unprotected exposure to strong sunlight is a risk factor for skin cancer, and a diet high in fat and low in fiber is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Scientists have found certain risk factors that make a person more likely to develop oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. Some people with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer do not have any known risk factors, and others with several risk factors never develop the disease. Even if a patient does have one or more risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer, it is impossible to know for sure how much that risk factor contributed to causing the cancer. Tobacco: 90% of patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer use tobacco, and the risk of developing these cancers increases with the amount smoked or chewed and duration of the habit. Smokers are six times more likely
