Incidence of Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Patients Under the Age of 45yo from 2003-2023

Introduction

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the oral cavity and has been reported to be more common in older men. It has been associated with smoking, smokeless tobacco and alcohol. Recent studies have posited an increase in incidence of oral SCC in younger populations. The objective of this study is to examine incidence of oral SCC in different age groups, stratified by sex and site.

Materials and Methods

Demographic information was collected by searching the Oral Pathology Laboratory, Inc/ NYPQ database from 2003-2023. Data was collected for all SCCs and separated into 5 year age brackets (<45, <40, <35 and <30) and by decade (2003-2010, 2011-2020 and 2021-2023) This was further subcategorized by location and by gender.

Results

The incidence of SCC decreased in the <40 and <45 yo age brackets from 2003-2023 by 1.1% and 1.54%, respectively. The incidence of SCC increased in the <30 and <35 yo age brackets from 2003-2023 by 0.7% and 0.4%, respectively. While the incidence of SCC amongst females decreased from 2003-2023, the incidence of SCC on the tongue in females in the <40, <35 and <30 yo age brackets increased from 2003-2023 by 17.1%, 20% and 33.3%, respectively. For men, the incidence of SCC varied over the years and across age brackets, with the highest incidence occurring in 2011-2020. The incidence of tongue SCC in men increased as age decreased. From 2003 to 2023, its incidence increased in all age groups except the <30 age group where it decreased by 16.9%.

Conclusion

This study shows a slight increasing trend in SCC in all patients <35. There's a marked increase in females with SCC of the tongue. Further demographic information is needed to better understand the etiology of these trends.