Statistics within StatsPearl state that 1%-5% of cancers in the oral cavity are found in the hard palate. The most common cancer in the oral cavity is squamous cell carcinoma, accounting for 2% of diagnoses in the hard palate. Other common cancers include adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and low-grade papillary adenocarcinomas.
The most common symptom of hard palate cancer is a sore or sores that don’t go away within a few weeks, according to Cleveland Clinic. Sufferers also experience bad breath, trouble swallowing, neck lumps, changes in speech, and discomfort in the mouth, particularly if they wear dentures. Furthermore, MD Anderson Cancer Center states that this disease can present as a new rough white patch on the palate. A type of palate cancer called “mucosal melanoma” includes a dark area similar to a mole. Since this type of hard palate cancer is more challenging to distinguish, it will generally be caught by a dentist during annual exams.
Specific cancers, like adenoid cystic carcinoma, are due to a genetic mutation; but other cancers, like squamous cell carcinoma of the hard palate, have been linked to excessive tobacco and alcohol use. MD Anderson Cancer Center also mentioned chewing betel nuts as a risk factor.