Statistics, Facts and Famous Victims

• 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. In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall has decreased, the incidence for oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5%.
• The death rate in the Unites States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney or ovarian cancer.
• More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, less than 57% will still be alive.
• 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.

Famous Victims

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

1. Babe Ruth
2. Sigmund Freud
3. Jack Klugman
4. Aaron Spelling
5. Alan King
6. Humphrey Bogart  
7. Lana Turner
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Rod Stewart
10. Bill Blass
11. Burl Ives
12. Sammy Davis, Jr.
13. John Prine
14. Jim Thorpe
15. Mary Wells
16. George Harrison