Ear, nose & throat · UKMLA & AKT
Oral cavity cancer
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- Over 90% of oral cavity cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising from stratified squamous epithelium
- HPV (type 16) is a major risk factor - particularly in younger, non-smoking patients; up to 93% of oropharyngeal cancers in Western Europe are HPV-positive
- HPV oncogenesis: E6 inactivates p53, E7 inactivates pRb - disrupting cell cycle and preventing apoptosis
- Tobacco + alcohol act synergistically (not just additively) as risk factors
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