Oral soft tissue malignancies in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Eighty-nine primary malignant neoplasms of the oral and oro-pharyngeal tissues excluding bone and salivary gland tissue were studied over a period of 21 years. They constituted 0.4% of the total number of neoplasms seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, over that period and contribute only a small proportion, in contrast to the widely held view that oral tumours are very common in Africa. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest type of lesion seen and the commonly affected sites were palate, gum (gingiva), tongue, lip and floor of mouth, in that order. The incidental overall male:female ratio is 2.4:1, and it varied for site and type of tumour. In general, the older male is most affected and the peak incidence of the malignancies occurred in the 51-60 years age group.