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Olaleye O, Ekrikpo U et al. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2015;97: 229–234

Each year, one quarter of a million people in the world develop oral cancer. There is a wide variation in the incidence of oral cancer among different countries; for example, there are reported differences in incidence between Scotland and England. Kaplan-Meier (proportion of patients who survive after diagnosis and treatment) and Cox regression analysis, were calculated from data obtained from the Thames Cancer Registry, London between 1987 and 2006 (n = 9,318; ICD-10 code C00–C06 and C14). The investigators found 1) the incidence was more common in men than women (1.6:1), 2) there was a mean incidence of 13.8 for tongue and 2.3 for lip cancer per million people, 3) a median survival time for tongue base cancer was 2.42 years whereas for lip cancer it was 11.09 years, and 4) the prognosis is worse for men and those who were older when diagnosed with cancer. The authors speculate that the increase in incidence of oro-pharyngeal cancer is associated with HPV infection.