Methods: A retrospective study utilizing data from file records of oral pathology department and cancer registry of UCH involving 265 cases over a 25 year period spanning 1981 to 2005.Exclusion criteria : - Inadequate records, unrepresentative or irretrievable microscope glass sections. Histodiagnosis of H/E and special stains of paraffin embedded wax block sections of oral cancer biopsy specimen based on 2003 WHO histologic classification of oral cancers.
Results: Overall mean age of oral cancer was 38± 21.4 years, male to female ratio was 1.2:1; mean ages of oral carcinoma, oral lymphoma and oral sarcomas were 48.5± 16.7 years, 24± 20.9 years and 25.3± 17.7 years respectively. Oral squamous cell carcinoma was the most common oral malignancy accounting for 32.5% of all oral malignancies and 54.5% of epithelia type, this was followed by Burkitt's lymphoma accounting for 10.9% of oral malignancies and 50% of oral lymphomas. There was a significant difference in the age of presentation between cases of rhabdomyosarcoma (75% occured in the 1st decade) and osteogenic sarcoma (only 32% occurred in the first decade) P =0.002 There has been a significant decrease in cases of burkitts lymphoma while NHL has shown a relative increase over the study period P =0.00. Two cases each of Kaposi sarcoma (mean age 34± 2.3 years) and NHL (mean age 42 ± 3.1 years) were assciated with HIV/AIDS
Conclusions: Oral cancer is still a heavy disease burden that requires community based campaign aimed at primary prevention and early diagnosis. there is need for immunochemistry laboratory service at this study centre which is the most elaborate health facility in west African sub-region.