Mouth cancer cases on the rise in Wales, dentists warn

The Welsh data, gathered between 2012 and 2021, showed mouth cancer was twice as common in men as in women, with cases peaking between the ages of 60 and 69.

About 120 men died from the disease in 2022, but survival rates are improving, especially among those aged between 15 and 54.

Paul Brocklehurst, a dental consultant at Public Health Wales, said the report should serve as a wake-up call for both patients and healthcare providers.

“Most people are presenting at stage 3 and stage 4… treatment is so much more difficult and survival rates much more problematic at those late stages,” he said.