Almost all mouth cancers belong to a group of cancers called squamous cell carcinomas. They develop in the flat, skin-like cells that cover the inside of the mouth. Other, rarer types of mouth cancer include salivary gland cancer-starts in the salivary gland cells; lymphoma-starts in lymph tissue near the base of the tongue and tonsils; melanoma - starts in skin pigment cells around the mouth or on the lips.
Attribution: BUPA