RISK FACTORS IN THE EMERGENCE OF ORAL CANCER – RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Oral cancer is the eighth most frequent type of cancer worldwide determined by lifestyle (smoking, chronic alcohol consumption) and other risk factors (age, gender, background, poor oral hygiene and the presence of lesions with malignant potential). Aim of the study: Determining the incidence of oral cancers correlated with certain factors (i.e., demographic, etiological, clinical, anatomopathological and therapeutic). Material and methods: The study was conducted on a representative sample of 811 patients diagnosed with lip and oral cavity carcinomas, following two main directions: clinical and computerassisted statistical. Results: Oral cancer was diagnosed in 83.3% of the cases among males. 88.28% of the patients are heavy smokers, while 49.19% are chronic / occasional alcohol consumers. The most common site of involvement for oral cancer was the lip (32.67%); 74.59% of the cases involved metastatic lymphadenopathy upon admission, 31.93% of the patients diagnosed as stage II. Conclusions: health education, smoking, alcohol intake control and application of treatment in the first stages of the illness represent a necessary measure in order to reduce the incidence of this aggressive cancer