Epidemiological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Characteristics of Patients with Floor of Mouth Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Oral cancer is a growing public health problem and is the leading cause of death from oral disease worldwide. Objective: To describe the clinical, epidemiological, and therapeutic characteristics in patients with floor of mouth cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on patients with floor of mouth cancer at the Conrado Benítez Oncology Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, from January 1, 2010, to December 30, 2020. A random sample of 51 patients was selected. Descriptive statistical techniques were used, and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Results: 88.2% of the cases had a smoking habit. The well-differentiated histological classification prevailed. In the location of the lateral floor of the mouth, there was a predominance of ulcero-vegetating clinical forms (39.4%), and for the anterior floor of the mouth, vegetating lesions were 44.5%. 54.9% of the patients were in stage I of the disease, and 33.3% were treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Conclusions: Patients with floor of mouth cancer treated at the Conrado Benítez Oncology Hospital are mostly adult men, with tobacco addiction, and present with well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in the initial stages of the disease, allowing for surgery plus radiotherapy as timely treatment.