title: Malignant oral tumors in iran: ten-year analysis on patient and tumor characteristics of 1042 patients in Tehran.
abstract: This study analyzed characteristics of oral cancer patients from Tehran, Iran, and their tumors. Data came from the patient records of 30 major hospitals in Tehran. Patients (n = 1042), diagnosed with invasive oral cancer in 1993-2003, were classified by primary tumor site according to ICD-10 (C00-C10). Data were analyzed separately for lip, oral cavity and salivary gland tumors. Statistical evaluation included chi and t-test. Of all cases, 59% were male. Age for all cases ranged from 6-103 years, mean age was 58.8 years (SD 16; median 62); 89% were older than 40. Tumor site breakdown was 65% oral cavity, 21% major salivary glands and 14% lip. A clear gender difference (P < 0.001) appeared regarding the primary tumor sites: women dominated in oral cavity cancers and men in lip cancers. The most common cancer site was the tongue (32%), accounting for 50% of the oral cavity cancers. Histologically, 88% of all oral cavity and lip cancers were squamous cell carcinomas, 10% of those were in age </=40, 42% in ages 41-64 and 48% >/= age 65. At the time of diagnosis, 59% of oral cavity cancers and 29% of lip cancers were at stage III or IV (P < 0.001). The results emphasize an urgent need for a national program focusing on early detection of oral cancers, including educational information addressed to oral health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Oral Public Health Department, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, PO Box 41, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland. katayoun.sargeran@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Katayoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sargeran
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murtomaa
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Safavi
authors.forename: Miira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vehkalahti
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Teronen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution