Prevalence Of Oral Cancer Research Articles

Trends in frequency and prevalence of oral cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma in mexicans. A 20 years retrospective study

To establish the time trends of the frequency and prevalence of oral cavity cancer in regard to age and gender in a 20-years (time period 1989 - 2008) cohort of Mexicans. 13,235 head and neck biopsies from the archive of the Oral Pathology Laboratory, Dental School, National Autonomous University of Mexico were revised. The cases with diagnoses of oral cancer were selected. Gender and age at diagnosis was obtained from medical records. The frequency and prevalence of oral cavity cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma were assessed biannually in regard to the total number of population served by the oral pathology laboratory. The statistical significance of trends was established using the linear logistic regression (curve estimation) test (s 0.05). 298 cases (138 males; 160 females) of oral cancer were included; 167 (92 females; 75 males; female:male ratio: 1.1:1) corresponded to oral squamous cell carcinoma. From 1989 to 2008 the prevalence of oral cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma increased 200% (s 0.05) and 100% (s 0.000) respectively. The increase of frequency and prevalence was observed in both genders however only in females was significant (s 0.000). We do not identify changes in the age at diagnosis. Oral cancer, specifically oral squamous cell carcinoma, has increase in Mexicans females in the last 20 years.

Possible association between nickel and chromium and oral cancer: A case–control study in central Taiwan

Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in Taiwan. Changhua County, in central Taiwan, has an extremely high prevalence of oral cancer, along with a high concentration of metal-related industries and soil metal contamination. The aim of this study was to clarify the possible association between metals and oral cancer within this specific area. This study recruited 101 oral cancer patients and 104 controls from the Changhua Christian Hospital. All subjects completed a questionnaire that asked about demographic information; cigarette, alcohol, and betel quid use; and environmental and occupational exposure history. Blood samples were collected and tested for metal concentrations with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A multiple logistic regression model illustrated that oral cancer was significantly associated with the blood levels of nickel and chromium (both with P < 0.0001) after controlling for potential confounders. This study suggested a potential role of these two metals in the mechanism of oral cancer development.

Cytological study of exfoliative buccal mucosal cells of Qat chewers in Yemen

Prevalence of oral cancer is relatively increasing in Yemen in recent years, which is ascribed to Qat with other carcinogens. Since the establishment of a simple and reliable method for the detection of oral cancerous and precancerous lesions is essential, exfoliative cytology (EC) was applied to a case-control study to appraise the presence and severity of oral epithelial atypia in 300 subjects (150 were Qat chewers and 150 were non-Qat users) without prior knowledge of the subjects' Qat exposure. Ten patients with oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) were included as internal controls. Cytological atypia and hyperkeratosis were demonstrated in six and 24 subjects, respectively, and could not be ascertained in the remaining 294 and 276 correspondingly. All of the 30 (six atypia and 24 hyperkeratosis) were among the 150 Qat chewers. Cytological atypia was found in all the 10 control cases with OSCCs (eight with severe degree and two with mild atypia). For the Qat among those with atypia and hyperkeratosis, the adjusted OR and the 95% confidence level were found to be 1.6 (0.8-7.2) and 3 (10.1-21.9), respectively. In view of these findings, we suggest the use of EC for detection and assessment of oral cytological atypia. Qat use contributes to the occurrence of cytological atypia that might develop to oral precancerous or cancerous lesions.

The role of viruses in oral disease

The focus has traditionally been on bacteria and fungi when discussing microbiological aspects of oral disease. Viruses are probably more involved in diseases associated with the oral cavity than has been previously thought. The role of several viruses in ulceration is well known, but viruses of the herpes family may play a role in periodontitis, and papillomaviruses are probably involved in oral cancer. This review offers a brief introduction to virology before discussing the role of the more relevant viruses in oral disease. As to clinical application, it is concluded that the anti-herpes medication may, in some cases, be relevant in treating periodontitis, while papillomavirus vaccine would be expected to decrease the prevalence of oral cancer.

Riesgo de cáncer oral atribuible al consumo de alcohol y tabaco en la Zona de Salud de Burela (Lugo)

Background: Wide differences in oral cancer prevalence have been reported that may account for disparities in alcohol and tobacco consumption. Thus, the aim of this study was to ascertain the risk of oral cancer attributable to alcohol and tobacco consumption in a primary health zone. Methods and materials: A case-control study of oral cancer patients treated at the Galician Cancer Centre from 1996 to 2000. Controls: primary care patients, selected by a non-random, consecutive method, from those treated at the Burela Primary Care Clinics in March 2000. Results: The number of case smokers was: 83.8% (n=62), vs. 26.4% (n=32) in the controls (p=0,000). The number of cigarettes consumed per day was (37.43±25.99 vs. 17.67±13) p=0.000. The risk of oral cancer was 5.90 fold among smokers. Out of every 100 oral cancers in smokers, 83 could be attributed to smoking tobacco. The risk of oral cancer attributable to alcohol was 0.23 with a relative risk of 2.04 and the etiological risk fraction was 0.51. Conclusion: The dentist plays a key role in providing information, counselling and help to those patients with risk habits.

Prevalence of oral cancer and pre‐cancer and associated risk factors among tea estate workers in the central Sri Lanka

To screen for oral cancer or not is being debated, but for high-risk populations with minimal access to regular dental care systematic oral examinations could provide some benefit. We undertook oral mucosal examinations of labourers employed in tea estate plantations in Sri Lanka. In a two-stage screening procedure, first by estate medical officers and then by visiting specialists, we examined 12 716 persons at their workplaces achieving a coverage of one-sixth of the total workforce. Fourteen oral cancers and 848 subjects with oral pre-cancer (6.7%) were detected giving population prevalences of 46.1 per 1000 for leukoplakia and 16.4 per 1000 for oral submucous fibrosis. Among subjects with any oral mucosal disorder (n = 1159) proportions of current users of betel quid, smokers and alcohol use was recorded at 92%, 31% and 61% respectively. The synergistic effect of these three risk habits on the development of oral leukoplakia was evident in mixed habit groups. The prevalence of oral pre-cancer in tea estate labourers was higher than estimates reported in previous studies. In the absence of state-sponsored preventive activities, it is necessary to improve the capacity of individual health practitioners and small medical centres to participate in oral health promotion and oral cancer/pre-cancer screening.

Prevalence of oral cancer and potentially malignant lesions among shammah users in Yemen

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of oral precancerous lesions and squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in Yemeni users of shammah, a traditional smokeless tobacco habit known in the Arabian Peninsula. The study group comprised 199 male and one female shammah users who were interviewed via a standardised questionnaire and clinically examined in 48 Yemeni villages and cities. Cases with oral leukoplakia (OL) or mucosal burns (MB) were compared with users without any lesion. MB were detected in 31%, of which 46.8% were located on the tongue or floor of the mouth, and OL in 27%, of which 59.2% were located in the same region. In addition, two cases (1%) of apparent OSCC were identified. Statistically significant increased OR (95% CI) of OL were (a) 6.91 (2.66-17.95) for an average duration of the respective shammah application >5min.; (b) 4.90 (1.99-12.08) for a daily frequency of those applications >10; and (c) 4.22 (1.43-12.43) for a daily duration >6h of chewing qat, also a traditional habit in Yemen. Likewise, decreased OR were (a) 0.39 (0.18-0.85) for rinsing the mouth after the shammah application; (b) 0.36 (0.17-0.78) for successful attempts to stop the use in the past; and (c) 0.26 (0.09-0.72) for existing knowledge about the carcinogenicity of shammah that was present in only 19% overall. In conclusion, evidence was shown for a significant association between the prevalence of OL and the daily duration of shammah application in a dose-dependent manner. An appropriate public health program might help to reduce this potential OSCC burden in shammah users.

Identification of risk groups for oral precancer and cancer and preventive measures.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the ten most common cancers of the body. Prevalence of oral cancer increases with age and is more common in men. In recent years a rise in incidence and prevalence of oral cancer among younger persons has been described. The prevalence of oral leukoplakia differs worldwide. In a recent German study the prevalence for men was 2.3%, for women 0.9%. Tobacco and alcohol remain the primary factors in the etiology of oral cancer and precancer. Dietary factors seem to be important in the prevention of oral precancer and cancer as has been shown in a number of recent studies. Antioxidants which are contained in fruits and vegetables seem to have a preventive effect. Prevention of oral precancer and cancer may be exerted as primary, secondary or tertiary prevention. Primary prevention is focused on elimination of risk factors (tobacco, alcohol), and has widely been neglected for the prevention of oral precancer and cancer until now. The dental team has to be involved in primary prevention to reduce the number of tobacco users, to help smokers to give up their smoking habits, to keep non-smokers from being exposed to passive smoking and to convince people to give up other oral habits which are associated with the use of tobacco.

Primary prevention of mouth carcinoma and oral precancerous conditions

Epidemiologic data for the prevalence of oral cancer show marked geographic differences. The incidence of oral cancer in younger individuals seems to be on the increase. Prevalence of oral leukoplakia in German men is 2.3%, in women 0.9%. Risk factors for oral cancer and most variants of oral leukoplakia are identical. Etiologically, tobacco and alcohol are the most important factors. Tobacco in smoked, chewed or snuffed varieties has toxic, tumorigenic and carcinogenic properties. Consumption of tobacco has markedly increased during the last 15 years in some geographic areas. In Germany tobacco consumption has increased 7.5% during the last 4 years. Alcohol affects the permeability of oral mucosa. Oral cancer as well as most forms of oral leukoplakia are avoidable diseases. Strategies for prevention encompass primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention focuses on principal avoidance of tobacco. Anti-tobacco counselling and therapy is actively practiced in dental practices in some countries. Intervention includes the 4 A's as principles (ask, advise, assist, arrange) and is based on nicotine replacement therapy. General dental practice and hospital dentistry should introduce the principles of primary prevention of tobacco consumption. A questionnaire which was sent to EU countries indicated that dental teams are willing to introduce tobacco and alcohol counselling and relevant prevention strategies.

The British Nutrition Foundation Oral Task Force report--issues relevant to dental health professionals.

A recent report on diet and oral health by the British Nutrition Foundation reviews the anatomy, microbiology and pathology of a number of oral diseases including dental caries, tooth-wear, oral cancer, periodontal disease and enamel defects. The role of nutritional factors in the aetiology and prevention of these oral diseases is discussed. The report states that improvements in the levels of caries in the UK are halting and remain unacceptably high in some 'at risk groups'--including the socially deprived. It states that a two-pronged attack, i.e. reduced frequency of consumption of sugary foods and use of fluoride is necessary to address the problem. To address the increased prevalence of oral cancer avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption are recommended. Recommendations for approaches to improve oral health are made for health authorities, industry, schools and health professionals and it is recommended that the Government make adequate resources available to improve oral health preventive strategies.

Oral and Upper Aero-Digestive Tract Malignancy: A Review of a Five-Year Experience

(25%) and 179 males (69.4%). In 12 cases (4.7%), sex was not specified. The most affected age group was between 41-50 years (24.5%), and the least affected were those above 91 years and below 11 years ( Table 1). The most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma (50.7%), followed by basal cell carcinoma (15.9%). Metastatic carcinoma constituted about 13.2%, nonHodgkin’s lymphoma 10.8%, including Burkitt’s lymphoma (1.2%), and adenocarcinoma was 2.3%. 5 The lowest incidence was mucoepidermoid, verrucous carcinoma, and melanoma, accounting for 1.2%. This was followed by Hodgkin’s (0.8%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (0.5%). There were three cases of anaplastic carcinoma (1.2%). Rhabdosarcoma and neuroblastoma constituted 0.8%. (Table 2). Lymph nodes were the most affected site, with malignancy comprising 20.2%. The skin of the head and neck was the second most common site (19.3%), followed by the nasopharynx (15.9%), buccal mucosa (9.7%), tongue (8.9%), neck (6.9%), and larynx and salivary glands (3.9% each) ( Tables 3 and 4). The least involved sites were the minor salivary glands and gingiva. The sternocleidomastoid was involved with rhabdosarcoma in one case.

わが国の口腔癌の疫学的検討 その推移と将来予測

Global epidemiological studies have shown that oral cancer is one of the five commonest cancers in males, excluding skin cancer, on the basis of incidence, mortality, and relative frequency data. However, the prevalence of oral cancer varies among different parts of the world and also among different sublocations of the oral cavity. In Japan, deaths from oral cancer account for only 1% to 2% of all cancer deaths. However, the number of deaths and the mortality rate due to oral cancer have increased in recent years.In the present paper, we report on the epidemiology of oral cancer in Japan. Date used for analysis were mainly derived from the Japanese population statistics from 1950 through 1993, published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.The number of annual deaths from “all oral cancers” (lip, oral, oropharyngeal, and salivary gland cancer) showed a 4.5-fold increase (5.2-fold in men and 3.4-fold in women) from 698 to 31554 during the 44 years between 1950 and 1993. The male-to-female ratio also increased from 1.6: 1 to 2.5: 1. The number of deaths increased for all oral cancers excluding lip cancer. Tongue cancer was the most common and contributed to about 40% to 60% of all oral cancer deaths. The crude death rates for men showed an approximately 3.5-fold increase and age-adjusted death rates an approximately 1.5-fold increase during the period between 1950 and 1991. For women, the crude death rates increased steadily (an approximately 2-fold increase in total), while the age-adjusted death rates remained unchanged. In men, the ageadjusted death rates tended to increase for cancers of the oropharynx, salivary gland, floor of the mouth, and gingiva, while it tended to decrease for cancers of the tongue and lip. In women, the same trends were noted as in men, although the changes were smaller. The overall age-specific mortality rates remained virtually unchanged for the age group of 40 to 49 years, but increased in all age groups over 50 years, especially that 65 years or older.We also attempted to predict morbility and mortality patterns of oral cancers in Japan. The incidence of oral cancers is expected to increase in both sexes, especially in men. Both crude and age-adjusted death rates will increase substantially more in men than in women.

Toombak-associated oral mucosal lesions in Sudanese show a low prevalence of epithelial dysplasia.

Clinical (n = 281) and histopathological (n = 141) characteristics of toombak-associated oral mucosal lesions detected in an epidemiological study in northern Sudan in 1992/93 are described. The lesional site in the majority of toombak users was the anterior lower labial groove and the lower labial mucosa. 4 degrees (1-4) of clinical severity of lesions, similar to those used to characterise Swedish snuff-dipper's lesion, were applied. An association between the severity of mucosal lesions and a longer lifetime duration (> 10 years) of toombak use was found, but the severity was not related to the daily frequency of the habit. Parakeratosis, pale surface staining of the epithelium and basal cell hyperplasia were commonly observed, but epithelial dysplasia was infrequent (10/141). The most significant observation was a PAS-positive amorphous deposit between the lamina propria and the submucosa, found in 25/141 biopsies. The clinical and histopathological features of toombak lesions are closely similar to Swedish moist snuff-dipper's lesions and this may reflect the high alkalinity of these products, resulting in an alkaline burn on the oral mucosa following chronic exposure. The low prevalence of epithelial dysplasia implies a low risk of malignant transformation. Nevertheless, the high concentrations of tobacco-specific nitrosamines present in toombak, and the high prevalence of oral cancer in Sudan, mandate biopsy and careful histopathological analysis of any such lesions detected in habitues.

Toombak dipping and cancer of the oral cavity in the Sudan: a case-control study.

To investigate the possible causal association between squamous-cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and use of toombak, we retrospectively compared the history of use of this substance in 375 patients with squamous-cell carcinomas of the lip, buccal cavity and floor of mouth, and 271 patients with squamous carcinomas of the tongue, palate and maxillary sinus, with 204 patients exhibiting non-squamous oral and non-oral malignant neoplasms and 2,820 individuals who had no malignancy, selected from the general population. The study revealed that the high prevalence of oral cancer in the Sudan is largely due to chronic use of toombak. The adjusted ORs associated with toombak dipping for the first case group, cancer of the lip, buccal cavity and floor of mouth in comparison with the hospital and population control groups, were 7.3 and 3.9 (95% confidence limits, 4.3-12.4 and 2.9-5.3) respectively and among long-term users the adjusted ORs were 11.0 and 4.3 (95% confidence limits, 4.8-25.1 and 2.9-6.3) respectively. The elevated risk found when investigating intra-oral cancers of sites in direct contact with toombak quid compared to those with little or no contact, confirms the hypothesis that direct contact with tissues is an important factor in tobacco carcinogenesis in the mouth. The increased risk associated with the use of toombak is of particular concern in view of its wide consumption in the Sudan.

The prevalence of oral cancer in relation to the ethnic origin of Israeli Jews

Smoking, alcohol, and familial background are considered major cofactors in the cause of oral cancer. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between ethnic origin and oral cancer in the Israeli Jewish Population. Data were collected during the years 1970 to 1980 from 342 dental records of patients in Israeli hospitals. Results showed a male/female ratio of 2:1. Of 264 patients with clearly determined ethnic origin, 72% were Ashkenazi, 15% Sephardi, and 13% Eastern ethnic origin. The relative prevalence showed that the risk of the Ashkenazi group to develop oral cancer was at least twice as high as the other two ethnic groups. The increase in occurrence of oral cancer with age in each ethnic group was highly significant ( p < 0.001). The most common type of malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma (95%) with 99% of this malignancy occurring in patients in their sixth and seventh decade. A significant ( p < 0.02) relationship between site of involvement and ethnic origin was also noted. The tongue was the leading site in the Ashkenazi and Sephardi groups, whereas the lip and alveolar ridges were the most affected sites in the Eastern ethnic group.

Preliminary report on prevalence of oral cancer and precancerous lesions among dental patients in Saudi Arabia.

The study consisted of 674 consecutive examinations done on patients on their first visit the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, over a 1-yr period starting January 1983. Men outnumbered women and 69% of the patients were Saudi Arabian nationals. Oral cancer was seen in one non-Saudi, whereas the overall prevalence of leukoplakia was 1.9%. The other lesions were leukoedema 8.3%, nicotinic stomatitis 2.5%, and lichen planus 0.6%. Except for lichen planus, all the lesions were almost exclusively found in men with a close relationship to oral tobacco habits. Leukoedema, nicotinic stomatitis and leukoplakia showed a tendency to occur together in varying combinations among smokers.

Oral ulceration at primary care-A Review

Oral ulcers are common, with an estimated point prevalence of 4% in the world wide. Aphthous ulcers may affect as many as 25% of the population worldwide. Patients with an oral ulcer may present initially to a general practitioner or a dental practitioner. Most ulcers are benign and resolve spontaneously but a small proportion are malignant. The incidence and prevalence of oral cancer varies across the world. Some of the highest incidences are seen in the Indian subcontinent, southern France, and South America. Importantly, the incidence of oral cancer is rising in most populations, particularly in young women. In the United Kingdom, around 2500 cases of oral cavity cancers are seen every year. Prevalence of oral lesions in population screening and survey studies shows that Candida-related and red-and­white lesions affect 47%, denture-related 8.4%, tobacco 4.7%, oral caratotic 3.4%, carcinoma or severe dysplasia 0.2%. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bdjps.v1i2.8802 BDJPS 2010; 1(2): 23-29