Mouth cancer, also called oral cancer, refers to any cancerous tissue growth originated in the oral cavity, including:

-         Tongue,

-         Lips,

-         Lining inside the cheek,

-         Gums,

-         Tonsils,

-         Salivary glands, and

-         Top and bottom of the mouth.

The causes of mouth cancer are unknown but there are certain risk factors that increase the chance that this type of cancer may develop. These include:

-         Smoking

-         Alcoholism or excess of alcohol consumption

-         Human papilloma virus (infection with the HPV)

-         Diet (poor in essential vitamins and minerals and overconsumption of red meat and oily foods).

-         Family history of cancer.

Different countries use different types of staging methods. The two more used are the Roman numerals from I to IV (I being the smallest and IV the most advanced) and the TMN system (T defines the tumor, N the lymph nodes, and M describes metastasis).

Diagnosis can be confirmed with:

-          Physical examination of the oral cavity to check if there is any tissue change or suspicious lump.

-          Biopsy of a small sample of tissue

Several tests may help to determine the magnitude of the cancer:

-          X-ray

-          CT scan

-          MRI scan

-          Biopsies of neighboring lymph nodes

-          Endoscopy

-          PET (positron emission tomography) scan