Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Southern Iran

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer among men in the developed world. The objective of this study was to document the gender, age, sites of occurrence and histological differentiation of the HNSCC in southern Iran. Methods: In a retrospective study from 1992 to 2007, 386 patients with a histological diagnosis of the HNSCC were investigated in departments of pathology of Shiraz Dental School and Khalili Hospital in southern Iran. Results: Among 386 cases, there were 289 male (74.9%) and 97 female (25.1%). In younger patients, the male to female ratio was lower than that in the older ones. The larynx was the most commonly affected site (44%), followed by the oral cavity (34.7%), skin (7%), oropharynx (3.1%), hypopharynx (2.9%), cervical esophagus (2.3%), other sites (4.2%) and unknown site (1.8%). 45.6% were well but 8.3% were poorly differentiated for SCC. Conclusion: HNSCC was most common in the larynx and oral cavity with an older aged male preponderance, but male to female ratio was lower in younger patients than older ones.