Oral Cancer Lethality in the Dental Department of Kinshasa University Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background: Despite the scientific advances achieved during this century in cancer management, nevertheless, the cancer disease remains one of the most fatal sickens globally and little data are available on oral cancer mortality in most low-income countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aim: To assess the frequency of oral cancer mortality in the Department of Dental medicine at the Kinshasa University Hospital. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study based on the records of patients who died from oral cancer was conducted in the Department of Dental Medicine, Kinshasa University Hospital spanning over a period of 20 years (2000 to 2019). The data were collected from the records of patients with a histologically proven diagnosis of cancer. Pertinent parameters included Age, sex, stage of disease, histological type of tumor and probability of survival of patients were evaluated. Results: During the study, 889 patients were hospitalized in the Department. Out of 91 patients who died while in hospital, 49 deaths (53.8%) were from oral cancer in 57% males. Median age was 46.02±19.6 years and sex ratio of male/female of 1.3. The epidermoid or squamous cell carcinoma (63.3%) was the most frequent histological type of malignancy, and the majority of deaths (96%) occurred at and advanced cT4NM clinical stage with 90% having less than 200 days prognostic survival chance. Conclusion: The frequency of lethality in the present study was high and constitutes a health problem concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study emphasizes the primary role devoted to oral health professionals in education, population, prevention, early detection and early management of oral cancer.