Oral Cancer

By: Callie Mason

    Did you know that smoking can raise your risk for oral cancer by 90%? Oral cancer is known as the silent killer as it kills almost ten thousand people every year in the U.S alone because by the time it was diagnosed it was too late. (Oral Cancer Facts n.d). Smoking causes many different types of cancer, most commonly known as lung cancer. Today I am going to discuss how various types of smoking cause oral cancers specifically. 

    Let’s start by discussing who is at risk for oral cancer. Just like any other type of cancer the risk increases with age. The average age of diagnosis is 62 years of age. (Top Oral Cancer Causes & Factors That Put You at Risk 2021). Men are twice as likely to develop oral cancers than women. (Top Oral Cancer Causes & Factors That Put You at Risk 2021). 

    Tobacco products are responsible for the top risk factor for developing oral cancer. As the mouth is that mode of transmission for smoking all the chemicals and toxins in cigarettes are going through the mouth before entering the lungs. Approximately 80% of people diagnosed with oral cancer have used tobacco products in their lifetime. (Top Oral Cancer Causes & Factors That Put You at Risk 2021). 

    With the recent legalization of marijuana many people believe that it contains less carcinogens and toxins than cigarettes therefore lowering the risk for oral cancer, unfortunately this is not the case. The cannabis plant itself does not contain any carcinogens but when smoked, the smoke contains the same amount of harmful toxins that cigarette smoke does. (Should marijuana users be worried that smoking causes oral cancer? n.d). The risk of oral cancer and marijuana use is lower than the risk associated with tobacco smoking but the risk is still elevated as any type of smoke or vapour entering the oral cavity poses a risk for oral cancers. (Should marijuana users be worried that smoking causes oral cancer? n.d). 

    Vaping is extremely new to the market and extremely popular with the younger demographic. As it is so new we don’t know the long term effects yet. We know that it is damaging to the oral cavity in terms of periodontitis and cavities. There isn’t much research yet about whether or not it raises the risk of oral cancer the same way cigarette smoking does. (vaping 2020). We do however know that the smoke from cigarettes and marijuana contain cell damaging carcinogens so we can only assume that vaping is not better whether it is water vapour or not. The chemicals within the flavouring of “vape juice: contains many harmful chemicals that should not be ingested. There is no research that shows that vaping is directly linked to any type of oral cancer as it is so new. (vaping 2020). 

    Hookah smoking is a popular type of fruit flavoured tobacco that is smoked through a glass bong. It has recently become more popular in North America but has a cultural symbol in many cultures all over the world. Research has shown that hookah smoke contains just as many if not more carcinogens than cigarette smoke. (Cancer Risks of Hookah Smoking and Health Concerns 2020). Hookah smoke has 27 known carcinogens, many of these found in higher concentrations than cigarette smoke. (Cancer Risks of Hookah Smoking and Health Concerns 2020). The risk for oral cancer is increased when hookah smoke is inhaled within a hookah bar or establishment as the risk for second hand smoke is increased significantly. 

    The many types of smoking can raise the risk for oral cancer. Some ways to protect yourself is to see your dental hygienist at least twice yearly for regular hygiene care and oral cancers screenings. Some things to look out for at home are: red and white patches in the gums, floor of the mouth, lips, cheeks and roof of the mouth that go away on their own after 14 days. (Mouth cancer 2020). Oral cancer is very treatable if found early enough, do your part and do oral cancer screenings at home and see your dental hygienist regularly, especially if you smoke any of the things I’ve talked about today. 

 

References

Lynne Eldridge, M. D. (2020, January 7). Cancer Risks of Hookah Smoking and Health Concerns. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/does-hookah-smoking-cause-cancer-2248791. 

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, October 20). Mouth cancer. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20350997. 

Oral Cancer Facts. The Oral Cancer Foundation. (n.d) https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/. 

Should marijuana users be worried that smoking causes oral cancer? StackPath. (0AD). https://www.dentistryiq.com/dentistry/oral-cancer/article/16360502/should-marijuana-users-be-worried-that-smoking-causes-oral-cancer. 

Top Oral Cancer Causes & Factors That Put You at Risk. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. (2021, March 1). https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/oral-cancer/risk-factors. 

Vaping. Oral Cancer News. (2020, September 8). https://oralcancernews.org/wp/tag/vaping/.