Oral cancers (oral cavity)

Histological types of oral cavity cancers

More than 90% of oral cancers originate in the scaly (flat) cells that line the oral cavity. This type of cancer is identified as squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive malignant tumour. Fortunately, this tumour is the most easily detectable with the naked eye, but also the fastest spreading.

Other types of oral cancers include:

• basal cell carcinoma, which occurs mainly on the upper lip;
• Melanoma, a skin cancer that originates in the cells that produce the pigment in the oral mucosa;
• adenocarcinoma, which affects the salivary glands;
• sarcoma of the bones and soft tissues of the oral cavity;
• lymphoma;
• the teratoma;
• other very rare malignant tumors.

Origin

Many cases of oral cancer originate directly in the mouth when one or more of the risk factors described below are present.

Some others originate elsewhere in the body, for example in the nasal cavity or sinuses, and spread to the mouth as metastases.

Conversely, a cancer located on the tongue or oral floor often and quickly produces distant metastases, i.e. it spreads to other parts of the body. Among these areas that are particularly likely to be affected are the lymph nodes in the neck.