decade of experience in the management of oral cancer

ABSTRACT

A retrospective study of 374 cases of Oral Cancer seen over a period of ten years and findings compared with international data. In the U.K. and U.S.A malignant tumour of the Oral. Cavity accounts for less than 2% of all malignancies, whereas in India they account for more then 40%[1,2] followed by 35% in Srilanka, whereas in Pakistan the incidence was second highest after bronchogenic carcinoma in males and breast carcinoma in female population[3]. The disease most commonly occur after fourth decade of life and our study showed females are slightly more commonly affected then males in contrast to report from U.K. where male female ratio is 8 1[4]. Most of the patients reporting were in advance stage-of disease, belonging to low socio economic group and pan chewing was the most common etiological factor compared to smoking and alcohol in the west[5,6]. The incidence of involvement of mandible and regional lymph nodes is strangely low despite advanced stage of disease. Different modes of treatment have been offered as Laser surgery, surgical excision, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Reconstruction of different forms are undertaken from simple split thickness skin grafting to K-wire, and axial and random flaps.The prognosis on the whole for oral cancer is poor, and worst for carcinoma of the floor of mouth, less then 15% survival in 3 years time[7]