Lips' tumors retrospective study and literature review: a twenty-eight-year experience

Abstract

The tumors of the lips are about 15% of all head and neck neoplasms, and 25 to 30% of all oral cavity tumors. It also corresponds to 20% and malignant tumors of the respiratory and high digestive tracts. The lower lip is the most frequent site of lesions and 90% of the cases occurs in males, with 5:1 in comparison to female gender. It is rare in blacks and children. In order to demonstrate the benign and malignant tumors of the lips' behavior, in patients attended and treated at Centro de Oncologia / Hospital Universitário Oswaldo Cruz / Universidade de Pernambuco's Head and Neck Surgery Service, between january 1975 and january 2003 (period of 28 years), researching the data on their files. Within the 403 (100%) cases, sex, age, clinical and histological features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis were analyzed and compared with the literature review. In conclusion, the lip malignant tumors showed a prevalence to male gender (59%), to 5th, 6th and 7th decades of life and the chosen therapeutic modality must be the surgical treatment.