Oral squamous cell carcinoma in a South African sample: Race/ethnicity, age, gender, and degree of histopathological differentiation
The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate differences between black and white persons with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with regard to age, gender, oral site affected, and histopathological degree of differentiation; and to compare these clinicopathological parameters between persons younger and older than 40 years in a South African population sample from the greater Johannesburg area.The histopathological reports of 510 cases of OSCC during the period 1995-2002 were retrospectively evaluated, and the data regarding age, gender, ethnicity/race, oral site affected, and degree of histopathological differentiation were recorded and statistically analyzed for differences between black and white persons, and between persons younger and older than 40 years of age.Statistically significantly, black persons were diagnosed with OSCC at a younger mean age (57 years) than white persons (61 years) (P=0.0086). The difference between male: female (M:F) ratio in black (3.74:1) and white persons (1.96:1) was statistically significant (P=0.0041). White persons had a significantly higher proportion of SCC of the lower lip than black persons (P<0.0001).OSCC was diagnosed at a younger age in black than in white persons; the proportion of black males in the black population group was greater than that of white males in the white population group; and the proportion of SCC of the lips was higher in younger than in older persons.