Abstract:

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and demographic features of early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCCT), with emphasis on age, sex distribution, tumor localization, and macroscopic presentation.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 72 patients with histologically confirmed T1 and T2 SCCT treated at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital “Alexandrovska,” was conducted. Variables assessed included patient age, sex, tumor location, and lesion morphology.
Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 55.74 years, with a male predominance (male-to-female ratio of 1.48:1. Young patients (≤40 years) accounted for 16.7% of cases, with a higher male predominance in this subgroup (3:1). The most common tumor site was the lateral border of the tongue (73.6%), followed by the ventral surface (23.6%). Lesions were nearly equally distributed between the right and left sides. Macroscopically, exophytic (30.88%) and ulceroinfiltrative (29.41%) lesions were most common, while erythroleukoplakia (22.06%) and flat lesions such as erythroplakia and leukoplakia (5.88% and 7.35%, respectively) were associated with smaller tumor size, suggesting early-stage presentation.
Conclusion: Early SCCT most commonly affects patients over 40 years of age, though younger cases are increasing in frequency, particularly among males. Lateral tongue remains the most prevalent site. Lesions such as erythroplakia and leukoplakia may represent the earliest clinical manifestation of SCCT.

Keywords: tongue cancer, early cancer, demographics, clinical characteristics