Burden of Suffering
The estimated incidence of oral cancers in Canada in 1993 was
3,120 and they accounted for 1,100 deaths, approximately 1.9% of all
Oral cancers account
for significant
mortality but their
prevalence is
relatively low
cancer deaths. The peak age for developing oral cancers is in the fifth
to seventh decades with a male to female ratio of about 2.5:1. The
lifetime probability of developing and dying from oral cancers in men is
1.71% and 0.61% and for women is 0.71% and 0.27%, respectively. The
potential years of life lost (PYLL) for oral cancer was 16,000 years in
Canada in 1989. Oral cancers account for significant mortality but
their prevalence is relatively low. This may affect the feasibility of large
scale screening with the adverse implications of the false positive and
false negative diagnoses generated by such a screening program.