Clinical case: A 57-year-old male smoker, referred by a colleague, came to the office complaining of a "ulcer" present for about 1 year. ASA II patient. After oral examination it was possible to observe the existence of a lesion on the left lateral border of the tongue and the oropharynx. Biopsy was done and sent for anatomopathological analysis. The result of the analysis was that we were in the presence of squamous cell carcinoma. Discussion: Over 90% of neoplasias of the oral cavity and oro-pharynxs are squamous cell carcinomas. Its most common location is on the pavement of the lateral side of the tongue and the soft palate. They can progress from an in situ carcinoma to invasive squamous cell carcinoma, and at this stage there is already penetration of the deeper areas of the oral cavity and/or oropharynx and may lead to the death of the affected individual. The main risk factors for this type of carcinoma are smoking and alcoholism, but may also be the result of chronic irritation such as dental caries, maladaptive dentures. Conclusion: Squamous cell carcinoma has different types of treatment, including surgery or radiotherapy, in cases in more invasive lesions. In lingual lesions, the treatment involves surgery and sometimes it's necessary surgical reconstruction in order to minimize postoperative oral sequelae. Due to the asymptomatic nature of most of these lesions, proper screening by dentists is an important weapon in the fight against oral cancer. Keywords: oral, carcinoma, cells, squamous, cancer, review