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Oral
Cancer
Cancer of the mouth, or "oral cavity", includes that extending back as far as behind the last molar or the "wisdom tooth". This would include the area behind the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, palate, and front 2/3 of the tongue. The tonsils and back of the tongue are further back, and are located in the "oropharynx". Thus, cancers of areas behind the last molar are not considered "mouth cancer". Also, cancers of our 3 major salivary glands namely parotid, submaxillary, sublingual are considered separately, as well as those of the jaw bones and muscles. Therefore, it is important to identify the area the cancer arose from, even if it subsequently spread to other areas. It is this area it originally arose from which determines what type of cancer it is.
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