Clinical and epidemiological study in patients with oral cancer in a period of thirteen years

Introduction: oral cancer is a serious public health problem because of its high rates of morbidity and mortality, resulting in irreversible consequences to the patient. Objective: to describe the epidemiological profile of patients with oral cancer treated at the Reference Center of Oral Lesions at the State University of Feira of Santana Bahia, Brazil. Methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted to collect records of 170 patients with oral cancer, treated between 1997 and 2010. The social-demographic data were gathered and analyzed to identify the frequency of variables related to the disease, through software Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Results: there was a higher frequency of oral cancer in males (n= 119; 70 %), black patients (n= 70; 47.3 %), in the sixth decade of life (n= 55; 33.1 %), with a previous history of alcohol and tobacco (n= 123; 74.1 %). The lesion presented clinically as an ulcer (n= 71; 58.7 %), red (n= 88; 64.7 %), rough (n= 116; 88.5 %), sessile (n= 104; 96.3 %), with exophytic growth (n= 70; 67.3 %), and fibrous consistency (n= 61; 46.6 %). The anatomical site most affected was the tongue (n= 45; 27.5 %). Conclusions: therefore, it highlighted the importance of characterizing the epidemiological profile of individuals affected by oral cancer, in order to develop strategies for early diagnosis, to decrease mutilative treatments and to extend the patient's survival.