Assessment of hospital based prevalence of oral cancer among population of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Background: Oral cancer incidence depends on both qualitative and quantitative factors wherein the incidence of oral cancer in patients with smoking and tobacco chewing habit is 8.4 times higher than that of patients with no habit.

Aim: To understand about the prevalence of oral cancer in population of Kanpur reported to the hospital and analyse the association with age, gender and tobacco habit.

Material and method: All 320 cases of Squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed histopathologically, since January 2007 to December 2016, were retrieved from the archives and a retrospective study was conducted along with association with the variables such as age, gender, site, habit and histopathological type.

Results: A total of 71 cases were reported in the age group of 30-39 (22.18%) and 60 cases (18.75%) were seen to be below 30yrs. Among individuals with habit, 135 (42.18%) were tobacco chewers and smoking was prevalent in about 48 (15%). The prevalence was more in males 37 (15.22%). Amongst both males (44.03%) and females (48.05%) gingivo-buccal sulcus was the most common site. The least common site was seen to be lip with only 10 (3.12%) patients. Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was common in both males and females with 155 (63.78%) and 47 (61.03%) respectively. Poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was only reported in 4(1.64%) males.

Conclusion: Early detection of these oral cancers will enable appropriate clinical management and monitoring. Moreover, improving the incidence, mortality, and survival rates of oral cancer requires a multi-tier structural approach that targets society, dentists, communities, and the individual.