Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral soft tissues: a statistical analysis of 14,253 cases by age, sex, and race of patients.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequently occurring malignant tumor of the oral structures, accounting for about 90% of the total number of malignant oral lesions. Among 14,253 cases of soft tissue squamous cell carcinomas of the oral area in the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the most common locations are the lower lip (38% of the cases) and the tongue (21%). In the past few years, however, the number of carcinomas of the floor of mouth has been increasing. Our material also shows a definite trend of the carcinomas to develop in patients of an age group 10 years younger than has been previously reported.