title: Oro-facial squamous cell carcinoma--a twenty-year retrospective clinicopathological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Squamous cell carcinoma of the orofacial region is a potentially life-threatening malignant epithelial neoplasm. There have been few studies on the relationship between clinical variables and histological grade among patients with oro-facial carcinoma. We sought to find correlation (if any) between clinical profile, anatomical location and histological grade of these tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of all histologically diagnosed oro-facial squamous cell carcinoma cases seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan between 1990 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Squamous cell carcinomas constituted 176 (38%) of all oro-facial malignancies. They comprised 91 males and 85 females with mean age of 57 (+/- 16.4) years. The maxillary region was most frequently affected (25%) while the lip was least involved (3.4%). Well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas constituted 49%, moderately differentiated carcinoma accounted for 36.8% while poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas constituted 14.2%. Well-differentiated and moderately differentiated tumours were relatively more common among subjects older than 50 years of age and poorly-differentiated tumours were more common before 50 years of age (p= 0.001). Degree of tumour differentiation was not correlated with gender (p = 0.88), and anatomical location (p = 0.17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further clinical studies may be required to determine whether oro-facial carcinoma in patients less than 50 years of age has a more aggressive behaviour than in older patients.
authors: Department of Oral Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. akeemlasisi@gmail.com
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Lasisi
authors: B F
authors: BF
authors: Adeyemi
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Oluwasola
authors: O A
authors: OA
authors: Lasisi
authors: E E
authors: EE
authors: Akang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck