Evolution of oral neoplasm in an andalusian population (Spain)

BACKGROUND Head and neck cancer are one of the most common neoplasm pathologies in humans. The aim of this study was to analyze the type, characteristics, treatment and evolution of oral neoplasm or precancerous lesion in a sample of Andalusian population (Spain) derived from the Oncology Rehabilitation Hospital Unit during a period of 20 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective descriptive study was carried out during the years 1991 and 2011 analyzing the type, characteristics, treatment and follow-up of oral neoplasm in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of the Universitary Hospital Virgen del Rocio. The inclusion criteria were patients whose underlying pathology was any type of benign or malignant neoplasm or presence of precancerous lesion that, after treatment, had been referred to the Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit. RESULTS Of the initial analyzed sample of 60 patients, only 45 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of the final sample analyzed, 31 subjects were men (68.9%) and 14 women (31.1%) (p = 0.0169). The mean age of the sample was 57 years ± 13.83, been more frequently in older people with more than 50 years (73.3%) (p = 0.0169). The most common type of neoplasm was epidermoid carcinoma (64.4%). The site most frequently found in squamous cell carcinoma was the floor of the mouth (31%). The most frequent treatment modality was surgery with postoperative radiotherapy (42.2%). All patients had a minimum follow-up of 5 years, and a recurrence in this period was identified in 11.1% of the sample. Multivariate logistic regression showed a statistically significant association for the variables age (p = 0.0063) and smoking (p = 0.0434). CONCLUSIONS Epidermoid carcinoma is the most frequent tumor in the oral cavity, where increase age and smoking are confirmed as associated risk factors.