Pattern and prevalence of oral carcinoma in a surgical unit at Cancer Institute Maharagama, 1985 to 1994
de Silva, G.K.; Jayamaha, J.M.; Gabriel, A.
Ceylon Medical Journal 40(4): 146-147
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-0875 PMID: 8689702 Document Number: 440772
Objective: To determine the range and prevalence of oral carcinoma requiring surgery. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Surgical unit I at Cancer Institute, Maharagama. Patients: 353 oral cancer patients admitted and operated on during a 10 year period from 1985 to 1994. Results: Lateral wall of the oral cavity (cheek and mandible) accounted for 55.6% of oral cancers. The other sites involved were as follows: tongue 33.4% (73.7% of these involved anterior tongue), maxilla 7.4%, floor of the mouth 2.6%, lip 1.1%. The male to female ration was 3.7:1. Conclusions: Lateral wall oral cancers are the commonest requiring surgery and the lip is the most infrequent site. Of the central lesions anterior tongue is the commonest. Compared with previous figures prevalence of maxillary cancer has halved, whereas tongue cancer has increased. More women are now coming to surgery.