High risk of malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis in Pakistani females: A potential national disaster.
To determine the relationship of age, gender and other associated risk factors linked with malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis into oral squamous cell carcinoma.



This cross-sectional, multi-centre study was conducted at both public and private tertiary care hospitals and clinics of Karachi, Pakistan, from 2004 to 2012, and comprised patients with oral submucous fibrosis and/or oral squamous cell carcinoma. Out of the total sample, malignant transformations of oral submucous fibrosis to oral squamous cell carcinoma were included. Cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma without clinical evidence of pre-existing oral submucous fibrosis were excluded. Sample selection was based on non-probability convenience sampling. SPSS 18 was used for data analysis.



Of the 1774 cases, 765(43.12%) were of oral submucous fibrosis alone, 472(26.60%) were reported as malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis into oral squamous cell carcinoma and 537(30.27%) were of oral squamous cell carcinoma without clinically visible oral submucous fibrosis. Of the malignant transformation cases,370(78.4%) involved women and 102(21.6%)men.Besides,5(1.1%)patients were aged below 25 years, 266(56.4%)were 26-50 years and 201(42.6%)were aged 51 years or above, with the mean age of 21.80±3.1, 34.02±2.1 and 40.28±13.1 years, respectively (p=0.001).Moreover, 228(48.3%)patients used betel quid with tobacco, 108(22.9%) consumed areca nut only, 55(11.7%) chewed betel quid without tobacco, 36(7.6%)used naswar, while 45(9.5%)had no chewing habits (p=0.001)..



The risk of developing oral squamous cell carcinoma was high, especially women.
Community &Preventive Dentistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Sidra
S
Mohiuddin
Science of Dental Materials, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Nazish
N
Fatima
General Surgery, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Jefferson, LA, USA.
Salim
S
Hosein
Maxillo-Facial Surgery & Dean, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Jefferson, LA, USA.
Nazish
N
Fatima
D000328:Adult; D001114:Areca; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology*; D010154:Pakistan; D055815:Young Adult
Malignant transformation, Oral submucous fibrosis, Betel quid, Tobacco