title: Epidemiologic characteristics of oral cancer: single-center analysis of 4097 patients from the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral cancer is a common type of head and neck cancers. Knowing its epidemiologic characteristics is crucial to preventing, diagnosing, and treating this cancer. This study aimed to explore the epidemiologic characteristics of oral cancer in South China.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed data from 4097 oral cancer patients treated at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between 1960 and 2013. We compared the age of onset, sex ratio, pathologic type, and primary tumor location among three subcultural areas (Guangfu, Hakka, and Chaoshan) and between an economically developed region and a less-developed one in Guangdong.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, oral cancer had a male-to-female ratio of approximately 2:1, and this ratio decreased over time. Oral cancer occurred mostly in patients of 45-64 years old (54.5%), and the percentage of older patients gradually increased over time. The most common tumor location was the tongue. Squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant pathologic type. The percentage of blood type O in oral cancer patients was lower than that in the healthy population. The male-to-female ratio in the Chaoshan area was higher than that in the Guangfu and Hakka areas, whereas the age of disease onset in Guangfu was higher than that in Hakka and Chaoshan. The male-to-female ratio was lower and the age of disease onset was higher in the economically developed region than in the less-developed region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of oral cancer in South China presents typical characteristics to which doctors should pay attention when diagnosing and treating oral cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhangji1@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhangji1@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. gaofan@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. gaofan@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. yangak@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. yangak@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: An-Kui
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. chenwk@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. chenwk@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Wen-Kuan
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. chenshuw@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. chenshuw@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Shu-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. lihuan@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Intensive Care, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. lihuan@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhangx1@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhangx1@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. yangzhy@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. yangzhy@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 232 Outer Ring East Road, 510006, Guangzhou, Panyu District, Guangdong, P. R. China. chenxlsums@126.com.
authors.forename: Xin-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. songming@sysucc.org.cn.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. songming@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult