Intra‐oral carcinomas in Maiduguri, north‐eastern Nigeria

Objective:  To document the pattern of intra‐oral carcinomas diagnosed in north‐eastern Nigeria. Design and setting:  A retrospective clinical and histopathological review seen in a tertiary care hospital (January 1987–December 2002). Materials and methods:  Information on socio‐demographic characteristics of patients and details of cancer management were retrieved from the files and histopathology records of cases diagnosed at the hospital. Results:  A total of 378 biopsies, 317 primary cancers including 279 carcinomas of the head and neck were diagnosed during the study period. Intra‐oral carcinomas constitute 43 (15.4%) of all head and neck carcinomas reported, with no occurrence in children. The overall mean age of occurrence was 51.2 ± 15.6 years (male = 56.2 ± 13.7 years; females = 47.5 ± 16.2 years) and an overall male–female ratio of 3:4. Carcinomas were commonly reported in the palate 19 (44.2%) and lip six (13.9%) and floor of mouth four (9.3%). Squamous cell carcinoma 28 (65.1%), adenoidcystic carcinoma seven (16.3%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma five (11.6%) were the commonly reported carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common carcinoma in all sites, in the sixth decade of life, of equal gender distribution and commonly reported in users of kola nuts and tobacco. The occupation of patients diagnosed with oral carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was farming (50%, 61.5%). All the staged cancers patients ( n  = 7) reported in the late stages (III/IV) of the disease. The mean interval between symptoms and presentation for the different carcinomas ranged between 9 and 25 months, with the least interval reported for mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Conclusions:  Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common oral carcinoma, commonly reported in the palate, among farmers and in the sixth decade of life. Its occurrence in under 40 year olds is three to six times greater than reported for the USA and Europe and may be associated with poor diet and the habitual use of kola nuts and tobacco. The survival rates of patients diagnosed with intra‐oral carcinomas, although not available, would be expectedly low in view of the prognostic indicators recorded in this series. The routine oral cancer screening of each patient, and counselling of patients with high‐risk habits, by dentists is recommended to improve the prognosis of the disease.