Oral cancer in young people: 10 years retrospective

Abstract

Oral cancer in young people: 10 years retrospectiveObjectives:Oral cancer is the sixth most common of cancers worldwide. In last two dec-ades there were many reports emerging about young people having oral cancer, which isknown as having a peak during the sixth decades. In this study we aimed to evaluate theyoung people having oral cancer about etiologic factors.Methods:The data was retrospectively collected from the archives at Istanbul University,Oncology Institute, Radiation Oncology Department. 51 patients (19 female, 32 male)who were treated for oral cancer between years 2005-2015 and aged between 18 and 45were reviewed.Statistical data was evaluated with IBM 22.0 programme and statistical significance wastaken as P<0.05.Results:The most common location was the tongue 27.5% followed by the hard palate15.7% and the base of tongue 13.7%. In terms of etiologic factors smoking, alcohol, fam-ily history of cancer were investigated. Smoking was found significantly higher in males(P=0.0001) but not statistically significant between age groups. Alcohol consumptionwas also found significantly higher in males (P=0.003) but not significant between agegroups. Family history of cancer results were similar between groups. Nodal metastasisresults between age groups found statistically significant.Higher aged group had more nodal metastasis (P=0.05). Histologic grading was alsofound statistically significant in comparison of age groups. The higher aged group hadmore poor differentiation than younger aged group (P=0.032).Conclusion:The risk factors we evaluated in this study have similar results with higherage groups. In the limitations of this study we could not compare HPV infection anddietary factors. However further investigations in larger groups, possibly prospectivelyconducted, could shed more light on risk factors of younger people having oral cancer.

Relevance:Major avoidable risk factors for oral cancer seems to be similar whicheverage group we concern. More efforts both by clinicians and governments are needed, espe-cially to prevent the use of tobacco products.