PREVALENCE OF ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA AND ORAL POTENTIALLY MALIGNANT LESIONS DIAGNOSED IN SANTA CATARINA STATE

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of potentially malignant and malignant lesions diagnosed in 1 school of dentistry localized in western Santa Catarina State. Study Design The medical records of patients with potentially malignant lesions and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were analyzed. We evaluated the age, sex, occupation, tumor staging, and relation with habits (smoking, and alcohol) during the period from 2012 to 2016. Results The prevalence ratio between male and female was 3.7: 1.0, with a mean age of 61.96 years, varying between 35 and 85 years. The most common anatomic site was tongue (32.4%) and floor of the moouth (24.3%). Regarding habits, it was reported that most of the patients were smokers (84.6%) and frequently used alcoholic beverages (66.2%). At the time of diagnosis, according to the staging of the tumor, 37.7% of the cases were in the initial stage (T1 and T2) and 62.3% were diagnosed in a late stage (T3 and T4). Conclusions The results reinforce the need to develop programs and preventive actions for oral cancer in western Santa Catarina, since the cases of SCC were diagnosed in advanced stage, affecting their quality of life, and disease-free survival time.