Squamous cell carcinoma of oral tongue in young patients – A 10 years tertiary care experience

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and pathological profile of young patients with squamous cell carcinoma of tongue. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised record of patients <35 years presenting with squamous cell carcinoma of tongue between 2001 and 2011. Data was extracted from the electronic database of the hospital for site and age. Clinico-pathological variables were analysed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the 29 patients, 17(58.6%) were men and 12(41.3%) were women. The overall mean age at presentation was 29.6+/-4.4 years. All patients (100%) had some sort of addiction, with 15(51.7%) having more than one addiction. Of the total, 20(68.9%) patients had moderately differentiated carcinoma. At presentation, 20(68.9%) had advanced stage (III-IV) disease. Surgery was the primary modality used in all the patients (100%). Median follow-up period was 36 months (range: 1-6 years). During follow-up, 7(24.1%) patients developed recurrence. Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was more commonly seen in males, and multiple addictions were a common risk factor.