Prevalence of Oral Cancer and its Associated Risk Factors among Oral Cancer Patients Presenting at HBS Dental and General Hospital, Islamabad

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of oral cancer and to find out the various risk factors associated with
oral cancer.

Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, HBS Medical and Dental College Islamabad from November 2018 to September 2021 for a period of 03 years.

Materials and Methods: Five hundred and forty-three patients diagnosed with oral cancer were enrolled. Daily and monthly outpatient statistics was also recorded for the study period.

Results: The mean age was 54.58±0.50 years. Among patients with different types of habits, 323 (73.2%) patients were tobacco chewers, there were 60 (13.6%) smokers, 32 (7.3%) pan chewers without tobacco, 17 (3.9%) smokers and tobacco-chewers, 2 (0.5%) alcoholics and 7 (1.5%) patients had multiple habits (alcohol use along with smoking and or tobacco chewing). In total, maximum number of patients belonged to carcinoma of buccal mucosa219 (40.4%) followed by cancer of tongue96 (17.7%), carcinoma of gingivo-buccal sulcus49 (9%), carcinoma of alveolar ridge or gingival 41 (7.5%), carcinoma of retromolar area33 (6.1%), carcinoma of palate31 (5.7%), carcinoma of floor of mouth 21 (3.8%) and carcinoma of lip21 (3.8%). On the whole, maximum number of patients belonged to stage IV oral cancer in 249 (45.9%) followed by stage III in 182 (33.5%), stage II in 92 (16.9%) and stage I oral cancer in 20 (3.7%).

Conclusion: This study gives different grades of oral squamous cell carcinomas well as frequency and site of involvement. Oral cancer developed at a younger age with higher prevalence of female. It has been observed that the risk factors like habits and oral cancer have significant associations.