INTRODUCTION: The asymptomatic evolution and early dissemination of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the base of the tongue justify this report. AIM: clinical and epidemiological study of patients with SCC of the base of the tongue. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 290 patients with SCC of the base of the tongue (1977 to 2000), being 259 men (89,3%) and 31 women (10,7%) - relation 8:1; concerning race, 237 white (81,7%), 51 black (17,6%) and 2 yellow (0,7%) - relation 5:1. About age, the prevalence of 6th decade (41,0%) followed by 5th to 7th (22,7%), 8th (3,4%) and 9th (1,7%). These parameters were related to occupation, habits (tobacco and alcohol), TNM staging. For statistical analysis, were employed non-parametric tests: Wilcoxon, Kruskal Wallis, Kappa and McNemar. RESULTS: patients from industries (36,6%), trading, and high level education (34,5%), agriculture (7,9%) retired (7,3%) - with predominance of 30 to 59 years (61,1%) and time of complaint of 180 days (62,0%), the main symptom was odinophagia (37,2%), metastatic lymphonode (21,8%), disphagia (14,5%), tongue lesion (9,0%), hoarseness (6,9%), and others (10,2%). About habits, alcohol and tobacco (83,8%), tobacco alone (10,3%), alcohol (1,4%) and nobody (4,5%). Predominance of stages III and IV in relation to I and II - 9:1, being stages I, II and IV tobacco or alcohol addicts in 100%, followed by III, IVa, IVb and IVc (23,1%, 53, 8% and 23,1% respectively). About T, 241(83,1%) were T3 and T4, and 49 (16,9%) T1 and T2. For N, 61(21,6%) were N0, 39 N1(13,4%, 125 N2 (43,0%) and 65 N3 (22,4%), being level II(69,0%), followed by level III (13,5), I (11,6%) and IV (15,9%). CONCLUSIONS: The SCC of the base of the tongue is more usual in white men from 5th to 6th decade, having as risk factors alcohol and tobacco, tobacco among women, and the six initial months was prevalent concerning the complaint time is stages III and IV, being all cases I and II alcohol and tobacco users.
epidemiology; squamous cell carcinoma; base of the tongue
