Please note that OCF has included this very extensive background white paper from the CDC on our site because it contains a wealth of valuable information.
HOWEVER – THIS PAPER CONTAINS A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION THAT IS NO LONGER COMPLETELY CURRENT, AND IN PARTICULAR, STATISTICS AND OTHER NUMBERS QUOTED WITHIN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY OUT OF DATE. The information that it contains related to the HPV virus is also not reflective of our current understanding of this etiology.
This detailed oral cancer information was compiled and reviewed for the Centers for Disease Control, by the large group of individuals whose names follow. It was originally prepared for the National Strategic Planning Conference for the Prevention and Control or Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer.
For more than five decades cancer has been the second leading killer of Americans. Each year, both newly diagnosed cases and the number of deaths due to cancer increase. In 2021, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 2,000,000 new cases will be diagnosed and that more than a half million people will die. Many of these cancers can be prevented through lifestyle choices that reduce one’s risk for the disease. Oral cancer, the focus of this document, is an example of a largely pre