Oral squamous cell carcinoma in Indiana

Oral cancer is expected to occur in 30,800 individuals in the United States in 1991. This article describes the clinical features of 549 cases which were submitted to the Indiana University School of Dentistry Department of Oral Pathology Biopsy Service for the years 1985-1990. Women accounted for 43.8 percent of the cases, and the average age at detection was 62.7. The tongue and floor of the mouth were the sites of origin of 49.6 percent of the cases. The duration of the carcinomas was six months or less in 77.4 percent of the cases. Symptoms were observed in 73.6 percent of the cases and 66 percent were less than 2 cm. in size. Nodes were palpable in 21.4 percent of the cases in which it was specified. This study supports the observation of an increasing incidence of oral cancer in women, as well as in the most common sites of origin, the tongue and floor of the mouth.