Reduce your risk of mouth cancer

Giving up smoking will reduce your risk of mouth cancerWho is at risk?

Doctors diagnose over 5,300 cases of mouth cancer in the UK each year. We don’t know exactly what causes mouth cancer, but we do know that certain things affect your risk.

More detailed information on definite and possible risk factors can be found in the mouth cancer section of CancerHelp UK.

Your age and sex

Mouth cancers are more common in older people. In the UK, 86% of mouth cancer patients are aged 50 or over. But these days we are also seeing more and more mouth cancers in younger people.

Mouth cancers are also twice as common among men. This may be because in the past men tended to smoke and drink more than women.

Tobacco, alcohol and betel nut

Most cases of mouth cancer occur in people who do one or several of the following:

  • smoke tobacco
  • chew tobacco
  • chew betel nut
  • regularly drink alcohol

People who use tobacco and drink too much alcohol have the highest risk of mouth cancer.

You can read more information about these risks on our tobacco, alcohol, smokeless tobacco and betel nut and diet pages.

What you eat

Scientists estimate that 10-15% of all mouth cancer cases are linked to unhealthy diets. Try to eat at least five portions of different coloured fruit and vegetables every day. More information and advice about eating well can be found in our healthy eating section.

Sun exposure

Spending too much time in the sun increases your risk of lip cancer. For more information on sun protection have a look at our SunSmart website.

Other risk factors

Other risk factors include having a weakened immune system and exposure to certain chemicals at work. Find out more about these risks on CancerHelp UK.