Women and squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx: is there something new?
PURPOSE: Incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and oropharynx is increasing in French female patients. The objective of this study was to study the clinical and demographic characteristics and the prognosis of this female population. Secondary outcomes were to determine if a subgroup of patient had a different prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study from 1989 to 2002 of all female patients presenting SCC of the upper aerodogestive tract was conducted. Data for 171 women were extracted. Clinical and histological features were analyzed using chi(2) and log-rank tests along with the Kaplan Meier method and multivariate analysis using the Cox regression procedure. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 62 years. Of the study population, 48.5% used tobacco and 34.5% used alcohol. The relative risk of death for overall and cancer-specific survival increased for patients below the age of 45 or over the age of 70 (95% Cl; 0.3-1.05; P = .0085). Tobacco consumption d
