When cancer develops in the mouth or throat, it's often bad news. One of the only clear signs that oral cancer might be on the horizon is the presence of white patches in the mouth or throat, but only a few of those white patches will lead to cancer. How to tell who is at risk? Once again, genetic research might have an answer.

Oral cancer is particularly deadly but fortunately also relatively rare, with about 300,000 new cases occurring every year. Rates are rising, however, for reasons that are not understood. The only known risk factors are smoking and drinking alcohol, but drug abuse may also play a role.