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Head & Neck Oncology Program

Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer

What are Lip and Oral Cavity Cancers?

Cancer of the lip and oral cavity is a disease in which cancerous (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the lip or mouth.

The oral cavity includes the:

• front two-thirds of the tongue
• upper and lower gums (the gingiva)
• lining of the inside of the cheeks and lips (the buccal mucosa)
• bottom (floor) of the mouth under the tongue
• bony top of the mouth (the hard palate)
• small area behind the wisdom teeth (the retromolar trigone)

The tissues of the lip and oral cavity contain several types of cells, and cancer can develop in each of these types. However, most cancers of the lip and oral cavity are squamous cell cancers.

This page was last updated on: May 14, 2009.

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