Clinical and pathological features of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip

Abstract

Lip cancers are one of the most common cancers in the head and neck regions and constitute 25%–30% of all oral cavity cancers (1). Lip cancer is located on the lower lip in 87.2%–90% of the patients (2,3). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) constitute 95% of the lip cancers (4-6). Lower lip SCCs are most commonly seen in Caucasian male smokers. They are often seen in the sixth decade of life. Etiology is multifactorial, but prolonged sun exposure has a major role. Histological changes, such as leukoplakia, hyperkeratosis, and actinic cheilitis, are also observed in adjacent tissues. Besides, sun rays, pipe and cigarette smoking, bad dental hygiene, chronic alcoholism, and immunosuppression also contribute to tumor development. The standard treatment for lip cancer is surgical excision and reconstruction (7). Surgical excision should be done carefully and the excisional material and its boundaries should be subjected to histopathological examination in three dimensions to obtain the highest cure rate and the smallest defect size (8). A probability exists of recurrence and regional metastasis in 5%–15% of all lower lip SCCs (9). Distant metastasis is expected in 15% of these patients. Histopathologically, tumor thickness is a determining factor for regional metastasis. Therefore, it is an important criterion in treatment planning (10). In the present study, 40 patients with lip SCC were reported. The purpose of the study was to evaluate these patients in terms of epidemiology, histopathology, and recurrence.