Abstract

Oral cancer is the largest group of the subset of cancers which fall into the head and neck cancer category. It has multiple etiologies including tobacco and alcohol use. Alcohol seems to increase the odds for a malignancy to form in tobacco users. Sigmund Freud displayed a fervent addiction to tobacco. By Freudʼs own admission he was addicted to nicotine and was known to smoke twenty cigars per day. Freud documented in letters his desire to smoke cigars throughout his ordeal with oral cancer. A brief review of oral cancer will be discussed and details of Freudʼs struggle with the disease will be analyzed in this chapter.