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Malignant transformation in 1458 patients with potentially malignant oral mucosal disorders: a follow-up study based
Shue-Sang Hsue1, Wen-Chen Wang, Chung-Ho Chen
1Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background:
It is generally accepted that the development of cancer in the oral mucosa is preceded by an identifiable non-invasive precursor lesion. The aim of this follow-up study was to estimate the rate and the time to transformation in a group of patients from southern Taiwan with potentially malignant oral epithelial lesions.
Methods:
The follow-up time is defined as the duration between the onset of the initial diagnosis and the occurrence of confirmed oral cancer. A total of 1458 patients with histological diagnoses of various pre-malignant oral lesions were followed up between 1991 and 2001. The average age at initial diagnosis was 47.5 years. The histological diagnoses were divided into six categories: epithelial dysplasia with hyperkeratosis/epithelial hyperplasia (8.85%); epithelial dysplasia with submucous fibrosis (2.54%); submucous fibrosis (27.57%); hyperkeratosis/epithelial hyperplasia (29.01%); lichen planus (9.80%) and verrucous hyperplasia (22.22%).
Results:
Within the cohort of 1458 patients, 44 patients progressed to oral cancer in the same site as the initial lesions with an overall transformation rate of 3.02% and a mean follow-up time of 42.64 months. Eight of the 166 patients with dysplastic lesions and 15 of 423 patients with hyperkeratosis/epithelial hyperplasia progressed to malignancy. The other patients with malignant transformation originated from various pre-cancerous oral lesions and conditions (submucous fibrosis, eight of 402; lichen planus, three of 143; verrucous hyperplasia, 10 of 324).
Conclusion:
These results indicate that patients with pre-malignant oral lesions need long-term follow up.
