Site predilection of oral cancer and its correlation with chewing and smoking habit--a study of 103 cases.

Like many other countries in South East Asia, oral cancer is one of the common cancers in Bangladesh. This report is based on one hundred and three cases of biopsy proven squamous Cell Carcinoma of the oral cavity collected from different Medical Institutions in Dhaka. The aim was to find out relationship between chewing and smoking habit and anatomic site of the cancer in oral cavity. It has been observed that oral cancers are common in older age groups and the proportion is higher in males as compared to females. Buccal mucosa has been the commonest site, the next being the anterior two-thirds of tongue. A high percentage of patients revealed tobacco habits in the form of chewing with betel quid and or smoking. Both smoking and chewing were found to be important in males in all the anatomical sites and chewing of tobacco with betel quid appeared to play a dominant role in the females. Duration of betelquid chewing and smoking seem important. Site of origin of the majority of the lesions corresponded with site maximally exposed to betelquid with or without incorporation of tobacco. In majority of the cases the cancer was well differentiated.