risk factors (oral)
Are you at Risk?
Tobacco & betel nut/areca nut (supari) consumption
All forms of tobacco, including cigarettes, beedi, pipes, cigars, and chewing (smokeless) tobacco.
Keeping tobacco quid inside mouth
Paan with betel nut/areca nut (supari) are also causal agents.
Alcohol consumption: Alcohol increases the risk of oral cancer. The risk is about twice as high in people who have 3 to 4 alcoholic drinks per day compared to those who don’t drink alcohol.
The risk of oral cancer is even higher in people who use both alcohol and tobacco
Sharp teeth or ill-fitting dentures: Chronic irritation of gums and cheek by ill-fitting dentures or sharp teeth.
Diet: An association between diet and oral cancer has long been suggested. A well-established and quantifiable protective effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown in several studies.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV): HPV infection increases the risk of certain types of oral cancer, especially in younger people.
Weak immune system: People with weakened immunity are more prone to suffer from oral cancers. Certain immune deficiency diseases at birth, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, medicines given to organ transplant recipients and the Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may be responsible for weakened immune system.
Exposure to sun’s ultra violet rays: May cause lip cancer.