Histopathological study of malignant lesions of oral cavity

Abstract

Background: Oral cancer is a heterogeneous group of cancers arising from different parts of the oral cavity, with different predisposing factors, prevalence, and treatment outcomes. It is the sixth most common cancer reported globally with an annual incidence of over 300,000 cases, of which 62% arise in developing countries. In comparison with the US population, where oral cavity cancer represents only about 3% of malignancies, it accounts for over 30% of all cancers in India, posing a significant challenge to health services by both preventive and diagnostic means. Incidence of oral cancer in India continues to rise and accounts for 50-70% of total cancer mortality. Objectives: (i) To study histopathology of malignant lesions of oral cavity, (ii) to study malignant lesions of oral cavity in relation to age, sex, and site, (iii) to compare observed findings with the similar studies done by other authors. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in Department of Pathology, at a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad for the duration of 18 months, from January 2014 to June 2015. As a part of this study, 477 specimens of lesions of oral cavity were studied with main focus on histopathology of the lesion and keeping the following features in mind: age, sex, and site of lesion. Results: During the study, there were 477 cases of lesions of oral cavity. Among the malignant lesions of oral cavity, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common finding and most common site affected by malignant lesions was buccal mucosa (BM). Most common age group affected by malignant lesions was 31-40 years (28%) with male:female ratio of 2.57:1. Incidence of SCC was 90.67%. Among the SCC, moderately differentiated SCC was most common grading. Most common age group affected by SCC was 31-40 years (27.94%) and 41-50 years (23.53%). Out of 68 cases of SCC, 50 (73.5%) were male and 18 (26.5%) were female with male:female ratio of 2.77. Most common site affected by the SCC was BM (41.18%) followed by tongue (39.71%) in the present study. Conclusion: Our study has revealed that SCC was the most common malignant lesions seen in oral cavity and moderately differentiated SCC was the predominant tumor type. Most common age group affected by malignant lesions was 31-40 years (28%) with male:female ratio of 2.57:1 and most common site involved was BM. The possibility of lymph node metastasis from oral SCC can be predicted with the help of certain factors such as site, size, and histological differentiation of the tumor. Hence, the study of site and differentiation is important.