Oral cancer is cancer that starts in the oral cavity
(mouth). The oral cavity starts at the skin edge
of the lips. It includes the lips, the buccal
mucosa (inside lining of the lips and cheeks),
the teeth, the gums, the front two-thirds of
the tongue, the floor of the mouth below the
tongue, the hard palate (bony roof of the mouth),
and the retromolar trigone (area behind the wisdom
teeth).
Oropharyngeal cancer develops in the oropharynx (the
part of the throat just behind the mouth). The oropharynx
begins where the oral cavity stops. It includes the
base of tongue (back third of the tongue), the soft
palate, the tonsillar area (tonsils and tonsillar
pillars), and the posterior pharyngeal wall (back
wall of the throat).
Many types of tumors can develop in the oral cavity
and oropharynx. Some of these tumors are benign,
or noncancerous. They do not invade other tissues
and do not spread to other parts of the body. Others
are cancerous, which means they can penetrate into
surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of
the body. There are also some growths that start
off harmless, but sometimes develop into cancer.
These are known as precancerous conditions.
Source: American Cancer Society
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