A Study on Malignancy of Oral Cavity Cases Presenting to a Tertiary Care Centre in Western Odisha

BACKGROUND Malignancy of oral cavity is quite a common disease entity in Western part of the state of Odisha. This is because of prevalence of habits like smoking, chewing tobacco, and consumption of alcohol. Ignorance about the severity of the condition in early stages leads to delayed diagnosis. METHODS A study was undertaken in Bhima Bhoi Medical College, Bolangir, in Western Orissa from October 2018 to September 2020 to study about different patterns of presentations and histopathological variations of malignancy of oral cavity in this part of Odisha. Patients were thoroughly clinically evaluated, examined, and appropriate investigation protocol was followed to record data. RESULTS About 0.33 % of all patients coming to the outpatient department (OPD) were found to be suffering from carcinoma of oral cavity. Maximum number of cases were males in the 5th and 6th decade with squamous cell carcinoma. Predisposing factors like areca nut and pan masala consumption were noted. A majority of patients were cultivators from lower middle-class families. Other common groups were businessman and industrial workers. They had come with burning sensation in the mouth and restricted mouth opening as complaints. Xerostomia, fibrous bands in mouth, cervical lymphadenopathy were signs that were detected. Cheek was seen to be a primary site of lesion in large number of cases followed by tongue and lip. CONCLUSIONS In spite of them being easily assessable, patients ignored their symptoms leading to delay in reporting to healthcare facility. As the patients were from disadvantaged background, by the time they came to hospital, they were in an advanced stage (stage three). Squamous cell carcinoma is very common in this part of Orissa. Proper guidance to the patients about the symptoms and risk factors will go a long way in early diagnosis and a more favourable outcome post treatment. KEYWORDS Malignancy, Oral Cavity, Predisposing Factor, Stage