Epidemiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The National Cancer Registry (NCR) of South Africa publishes the pathology-based cancer incidence in the country and is the main cancer data source. The data published by the NCR have been used extensively in the development of the draft national guidelines for cancer prevention and control as well as for cancer research. The list of contributing pathology laboratories is fairly inclusive. Data from the NCR and the University of Limpopo, Department of Oral Pathology for the five years 1997-2001 were combined and then filtered for sites in the oral and oropharyngeal region. Age-Standardised Incidence Rates (ASIR) and the Cumulative Lifetime Risk (LR) for males and females in the different population groups were determined. Comprehensive reporting of oral and oropharyngeal cancer incidence will influence the allocation of government resources for prevention and treatment of oral cancers.