Abstract

Background: One of the most common cancers is squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck which is a serious health challenge worldwide. Considering the importance of knowledge of incidence, death and risk factors in prevention programs, this study was conducted to investigate the incidence, mortality and risk factors for oral cavity and lip cancer in the world. Methods: A search was performed in Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus. The search keywords included: oral cavity or lip cancer, epidemiology, incidence, mortality, risk factors, and a combination of these terms. Studies that referred to epidemiological aspects of oral cavity and lip cancer epidemiology and risk factors were included in the review. Results: The five countries with the highest number of cancer of the oral cavity and lip included India, the United States, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The standard incidence of these cancers in the world was 4 per 100,000 people (in men versus women, 5.5 and 2.5 per hundred thousand, respectively). The five countries with the highest number of deaths from oral cavity cancer were India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Russia. In 2012, the standardized death rate for this type of cancer was 1.9 per 100,000 people in the world (2.7 vs. 1.2 in every 100,000 of men vs. women, respectively). The most important risk factors for oral and lip cancer include tobacco smoke, alcohol drinking, viral infections, exposure to sunlight, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion: In order to reduce the burden of this cancer, there are the strategies for preventing risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol control, and vaccination against HPV infection to prevent oral cancers. Also, early detection by screening high-risk populations for oral cancer as well as risk reduction through training programs for physician and patients are effective.