Mouth cancers

Mouth cancers can develop on the lip, tongue, the floor of the mouth or anywhere else inside the mouth.

There are a number of different cancers that can start in the mouth. Mouth cancers can develop anywhere inside the mouth, including on the lip or on the tongue. The side of the tongue or floor of the mouth are the most common places for mouth cancer.

You might also hear cancers of the tongue, gums, inside of cheeks or lips called ‘oral cavity cancers’.

Most mouth cancers are ‘squamous cell carcinomas’, a type of skin cancer. This is generally a relatively slow-growing type of cancer.

Read about head and neck cancersNon-Hodgkin lymphoma and skin cancers for more information.

At The Christie, cancers of the mouth are treated by the head and neck cancer team.

Last updated: March 2023