Primary Orofacial Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter

RESULTS: The patients' (85 males (57%) and 64 (43%) females.) whose ages ranged from 11-91years (mean ± SD; 54 ± 15.5 years, median 52.5 years) constituted 78.7% of all orofacial malignancies seen within the study period. Lesions were of 8-67 weeks duration (mean ± SD 28.6± 15.1 weeks, median 24 weeks). Overall, the maxillary antrum (20.3%) was the most commonest site, while intraorally; the alveolus (29.6%) and palate (12.4%) predominated. Most lesions (65.8%) were welldifferentiated and only 35.6% showed individual cell keratinization. Patients with well-differentiated lesions had a comparatively higher mean age than their counterparts with other histological varieties and this was statistically significant (P < 0.05). About 45.6% presented with stages III and IV disease, and significant difference was found between duration of the lesions and clinical staging of disease (P < 0.05). Surgery in conjunction with radiotherapy was undertaken for 36.9% of the cases, followed by surgery alone in 14.4%. Close to a quarter (24.2%) either declined or failed to turn-up for treatment. Whereas treatment was found to be successful in 13.4% of the cases, failure to attend follow-up appointment was observed in 62.4%.