Analysis of clinical and histopathological profiles of oral squamous cell carcinoma in young Indian adults: A retrospective study

Abstract

Substantial debate exists in the literature regarding the clinical course of young patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Based on young subjects with OSCC reported at our institution, the clinicopathological features of OSCC in young patients were studied in order to determine if there were any defining characteristics in this population. All cases of OSCC reported in our institution in 2005–2009 were scrutinized. Clinicopathological features of patients aged ≤40 years (young patients) at the time of the initial diagnosis were compared to patients aged >40 years (older patients), and there was twice the number of older than younger patients. In a span of 5 years, there were 82 (24.6%) young patients (≤40years) out of 333 OSCC patients reported, and the majority were males. The bulk of OSCC patients had chewing habits of tobacco and areca nut products, and the percentage of patients using commercially available pan-tobacco products among young patients were higher compared to older patients. Exophytic growth was a common morphological presentation in OSCC patients, but young patients showed a significantly higher endophytic presentation compared to older patients. There was no significant difference between study participants when histopathological grading systems of Broder and Anneroth et al were applied. Exposure through behavioral risk factors was similar in young and older patients; although these had less time to act in young patients, the lesions were similar in terms of size and pathology. Demographic and clinical parameters like gender, risky habits, duration of risky habits, and tumor morphology were significant predictors in the study groups. Future studies should determine the prognostic values of these parameters.