[Carcinoma of the oral cavity in adults less than 30 years of age].

Carcinoma of the oral cavity in patients less than thirty years of age is quite uncommon. Moreover, the usual tobacco and alcohol exposure is not found in these patients. We reviewed retrospectively the medical files of 7 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated between 1980 and 1993. Six patients were male. Mean age was 26 years. The primary site was staged T1 in 2 patients, T2 in 3 patients, T3 in 1 patient and T4 in 1 patient. The results of treatment suggest that there is no difference in control rate between this group and older patients. It is difficult to draw conclusions from most of published reports because studies often include patients up to fourty years of age and tumors of various anatomic sites. Young age and alcohol and tobacco exposure do not appear significant factors of prognosis.