Prevalence study of oral precancerous lesions within a complex screening system in Hungary

Previous epidemiological studies, performed in conjunction with compulsory lung screening examinations, showed good results in detecting oral lesions in Hungary, where the mortality rate of oropharyngeal cancer has increased by more than 30% in the past decade. Oral examinations were performed on a district population sample in Budapest, called regularly for X-ray lung examinations. Precancerous lesions and conditions were diagnosed and grouped according to internationally accepted criteria. Oral examinations of 7820 individuals were performed: 42.9% in men and 57.1% in women; 42% of all examined subjects were over 60 yr of age. Oral leukoplakia was diagnosed in 104 cases (1.3%). Histologic examination revealed squamous cell carcinoma in one case. About 70% of oral leukoplakias occurred in men and 30% in women. Oral lichen was diagnosed in six cases (0.08%). The prevalence of smokers was 86.5% in the leukoplakia group as compared with with 29% in the non-lesion group. The new organizational screening model seems to function well in the "risk group" of elderly persons, especially in the early diagnosis of oral cancer and precancerous lesions.