[Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: a report of 30 cases]

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the lips (90%). The prognosis of these SCC seems to be poor thus here periorificial localization.

To present the epidemiological, clinical, pathological, therapeutic features and out come of SCC of the lips.

we conducted a retrospective study performed in the dermatology department of the La Rabta hospital of Tunis over a 11-year-period [2000-2010] recording patients with histologically confirmed SCC of lips.

Thirty patients were included (26 men and 4 women) with an average age of 63 years. The most frequent risk factors were smoking and chronic sunlight exposure. The occurrence of the labial SCC on a precursor lesion was noted in 11 cases. It occurred more frequently on the lower lip (80%). Tumor was ulcero-vegetant in 21 patients. Twenty patients had a commune SCC, 19 of them were well-differentiated. Surgery was indicated in 18 cases and 10 patients were treated by exclusive radiotherapy. Lymph nodes metastases were noted in 2 cases. No visceral metastasis was observed. During the period of follow-up (20.12 months), two patients died.

The diagnosis of SCC of the lips is late and the treatment often mutilating. The improvement of the prognosis depends not only on the early diagnosis and the treatment of the precursors, but also on the photo protection and alcohol and smoking eviction.