Cases of oral cancer are increasing and are now the tenth most common cancer in men according to new figures released by Cancer Research UK.
This latest data shows around 7,300 people were diagnosed with oral cancer in the UK in 2012.
Twice as many men than women diagnosed with the disease -around 4,900 males and 2,400 females. It is the fifteenth most common cancer in women.
Dr Richard Roope, Cancer Research UK's lead GP said: "The combination of tobacco, drinking alcohol and HPV provides a toxic cocktail that has led to this rising tide of cancers, so it's vital that people are aware of how to reduce their risk."
Over the last decade, cases of oral cancer have risen from around 4,500 in 2002.
The incidence rate of the disease has increased by a third over ten years, rising from 9 per 100,000 people in 2002 to 12 per 100,000 in 2012.
There are around 2,300 people who die from oral cancer in the UK every year, around 1,500 men and around 770 women.
Oral cancers include cancer of the lips, tongue, mouth (gums and palate), tonsils and the middle part of the throat (oropharynx).
Around nine out of 10 oral cancer cases in the UK are linked to major lifestyle and other risk factors, Cancer Research said.
An estimated 65% of oral cancers in the UK are linked to tobacco smoking. The human papilloma virus (HPV), drinking alcohol and having a diet low in fruit and vegetables have also been linked to oral cancer.
Cancer Research UK is launching a new toolkit for dentists and GPs to help try and spot the disease earlier.
Professor Damien Walmsley, chief scientific advisor to the British Dental Association, said: "If oral cancer is spotted early survival rates can reach 90%. Delay is costing lives, so it's vital that front line health professionals have the tools and the information to reduce the risk of the disease and get patients diagnosed as quickly as possible."
