Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions report the distribution of new cases of lip cancer, oral cavity cancer, and pharyngeal cancer in 185 countries in 2022. In the article, the authors assess the prospects of primary prevention, early detection, and cancer care and survivorship with a view to informing effective global prevention and control of these cancers through policy implementation. The article was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Worldwide, 758 000 people were diagnosed with cancers of the lip, oral cavity, or pharynx in 2022. Oral cavity cancer accounted for approximately 42% of these cases, followed by oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, salivary gland, and lip cancers. Oral cavity cancer was the most frequent subsite of the studied cancers among women in 141 countries and among men in 93 countries. The incidence rates were highest in countries in South-Central Asia.

The study highlights substantial differences between and within world regions, indicating distinct risk factors and emphasizing the importance of targeted policies. Effective strategies include preventive measures – notably tobacco, alcohol, and areca nut control as well as human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination – and early detection through the visual or clinical oral screening of high-risk populations.

Rumgay H, Colombet M, Ramos da Cunha A, Filho AM, Warnakulasuriya S, Conway DI, et al.
Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022
CA Cancer J Clin. Published online 3 December 2025;
https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.70048

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