Oral squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study of 740 cases in a Brazilian population

The purpose of this study was to evaluate, retrospectively, the profile of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. They were referred to two hospitals of Belo Horizonte (MG, Brazil) between 1986 and 1996. The medical records of 740 patients presenting oral squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed in detail. The TNM classification and staging, age, gender, race, occupation, and site of the primary tumor were recorded. The male-to-female ratio was 4.8:1. The mean age was 58.6 years. Most of the patients were in their sixties and were farm workers. The tumors were found principally on the tongue. There was a close relationship between some habits (tobacco and alcohol consumption) and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Most of the patients sought medical care in the first year, even though almost half of them had lesions in stage T4. The identification of the characteristics of this specific population might reflect either accomplishments or problems in oral cancer control and can enable the development of a primary prevention program for oral squamous cell carcinoma.