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Cancer occurs when normal body cells get out of control, multiply and spread. These cells clump together to form a cancerous or malignant tumour which can then grow and damage healthy parts of the body.
Mouth cancer is any type of cancer that occurs in part of the mouth (e.g. the lips, tongue, gums, tonsils, or lining of the mouth). It is sometimes called oral cancer.
The most common type of mouth cancer is a squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are flat, skin like cells in the lining of the mouth.
Rarer types of mouth cancer include:
- cancer of the salivary gland
- lymphoma - this can start anywhere in the mouth, most commonly in the top jaw
- melanoma - this is a type of skin cancer that occurs in the skin pigment (colour) cells of the mouth or lips. Melanoma in the mouth is very rare.
