Characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma focusing on cases unaffected by smoking and drinking: A multicenter retrospective study

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 45; no. 7; pp. 1812 - 1822
• Main Authors: Harada, Hiroyuki, Kikuchi, Masahiro, Asato, Ryo, Hamaguchi, Kiyomi, Tamaki, Hisanobu, Mizuta, Masanobu, Hori, Ryusuke, Kojima, Tsuyoshi, Honda, Keigo, Tsujimura, Takashi, Kumabe, Yohei, Ichimaru, Kazuyuki, Kitani, Yoshiharu, Ushiro, Koji, Kitamura, Morimasa, Shinohara, Shogo, Omori, Koichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-07-2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: multiple primary carcinomas; non‐drinker; non‐smoker; Oral cancer; Oral carcinoma; Oral squamous cell carcinoma; Smoking; Squamous cell carcinoma; survival; Tongue; non-drinker; non-smoker; oral cancer; survival; multiple primary carcinomas
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.27398

Background
Some oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases are unaffected by smoking or drinking. This study aimed to clarify distinctive groups among OSCC patients and examine the characteristics of multiple primary carcinomas (MPCs).
Methods
We analyzed data from 970 patients. The patients were divided into three groups: all individuals <45 years (<45 y), smokers/drinkers ≥45 years (SD ≥45 y), and non‐smokers/non‐drinkers ≥45 years (NSND ≥45 y).
Results
Tongue cancers were more common in the <45 y group than in the other groups (p < 0.001). The NSND ≥45 y group was significantly older and more likely to be female than the SD ≥45 y group (p < 0.001). MPCs in the upper aerodigestive tract were more common in men and smokers/drinkers, whereas women were at risk for multiple primary OSCCs (p = 0.022).
Conclusions
The “young tongue” and “elderly female” subgroups and characteristics of MPCs suggest carcinogenic factors of OSCC other than smoking and drinking.