The Deadly Statistics

• Every hour of every day, one American dies of oral cancer.
• The mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not improved significantly in the last 40 years.
• More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, less than 57% will still be alive.²
• 8,000 Americans will die each year of oral cancer. Oral cancer is far too often detected in late stage development -- the primary reason for the high death rate. Oral cancer can have potentially disfiguring effects on patients, seriously compromising their quality of life. Early detection of abnormalities can make a large difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found early. Unfortunately, 70% of oral cancers are diagnosed in the late stages, and 43% of those diagnosed will die within five years.
• The American Cancer Society projects that almost as many women will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year as they will be with cervical cancer (approximately 10,000).
• There are almost as many cases of HPV-related oral cancer as cases of HPV-related cervical cancer.¹

Famous Victims

Oral cancer has touched the lives of many people; however some of the better known oral cancer victims may surprise you.

• Babe Ruth
• Sigmund Freud
• Jack Klugman
• Aaron Spelling
• Alan King
• Humphrey Bogart
• Lana Turner
• Eddie Van Halen
• Rod Stewart
• Bill Blass
• Burl Ives
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• John Prine
• Jim Thorpe
• Mary Wells
• George Harrison

1. Herrero R, et al., for the IARC Multicenter Oral Cancer Study Group.Human papillomavirus and oral cancer: the International Agency for Research on Cancer multicenter study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003 Dec 3;95(23):1772-83.
2. American Cancer society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2006. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2006.