The Epidemiological Pattern of Premalignant and Malignant Epithelial Lesions in Northeast of Iran: A 43-Year Evaluation

Abstract

Background: Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in human society. Epidemiological information has an important role in planning for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in communities. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate epidemiological aspects of the premalignant and malignant epithelial lesions during a 43-year period in faculty of dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: In this retrospective-descriptive study, all archived records in oral pathology department of dental school, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in northeast of Iran, during the period of 1971 -2013 were investigated. A total of 11126 pathology reports were evaluated. Age, gender, primary site and histologic type of the lesions were extracted from patient's records. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (V. 21), Chi-square, Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney tests.