Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the head and neck worldwide. It classically develops in older adults with chronic exposure to mucosal carcinogens. It typically occurs in elderly men during the 5th to 8th decade of life. Interestingly, younger patients have also experienced a worldwide increase in incidence, outpacing their older counterparts. The purpose of our study was to compare and correlate the clinicopathological characteristics of OSCC in young versus old age group.
Method: The case history files were retrieved from our department archives from 2010 to 2022. Out of 5350 diagnosed biopsies, 594 OSCC cases were selected. Malignancies of salivary glands, nasopharynx, hypo-pharynx and metastatic tumours were excluded. Demographic data were obtained along with histopathological grading. The data were then analysed using SPSS software and chi square tests were applied.
Results: Out of 594 cases, 110 (18.51%) were younger than 40 years of age while 484 (81.4%) were older. In both groups there was a male predominance (~78%). Buccal mucosa and mandibular alveolus were the most common sites in young (37.3%) and old groups (28.5%), respectively. Well differentiated SCC formed the most common histopathological diagnosis in young and adults alike, and pain was the most common presentation. Furthermore, consumption of alcohol and tobacco was significantly associated in both the groups.
Conclusion: The clinical and epidemiological profile of young OSCC showed differences and similarities with the older group.