White blood cell count of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma at the time of diagnosis: a cross-sectional retrospective study of a population from southern Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To describe sociodemographic variables and verify changes in white blood cells of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).METHODS: Cross-sectional retrospective study that used secondary data of patients with OSCC, attended at the Oral Medicine Service of the School of Dentistry of ULBRA, between 2010 and 2014.RESULTS: 87.3% of the population were male, white (71%), age superior to 60 years (38.7%), urban worker (61.3%), without changing in the overall health at query time (67.7%) and residents of the municipality of Canoas/RS (93.6%). The most prevalent injuries sites were the buccal floor, alveolar ridge, corners of the mouth and gums (61.3%). 74.2% of the sample were smokers and 45.2% drinkers. As for the WBC, most patients presented values within the normal range: total leukocytes (77.4%), lymphocytes (87.1%) and neutrophils (96.8%). CONCLUSION: The profile of the sample was consistent with literature: white males over the age of 40 years, smokers/former-smokers and alcoholics/ex-alcoholics. The patients did not show changes in the white blood cells (leukogram) values. It is recommended that more research should be conducted in this area of knowledge, due to the importance of the subject.