Clinicopathological Features and Staging of Oral Cancer in Patients Seeking Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Saudi Arabia

Oral cancer (OC), the most common type of head and neck cancer, ranks as the 16th most common malignancy and the 15th leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen a rise in OC incidence. Despite its prevalence, OC has one of the lowest survival rates globally, with many cases still being diagnosed at advanced stages. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of late-stage OC cases in maxillofacial surgical oncology settings in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from patients diagnosed with OC who were treated at two institutions where the author practices. Key variables collected included patient age, gender, tumor histology, location, and TNM staging. Analysis of 156 histologically confirmed cases showed a mean patient age of 59.2 years. A significant majority (79%) presented with advanced-stage disease, distributed as follows: 11% in stage I, 10% in stage II, 16% in stage III, and 63% in stage IV. In addition, 58% of the tumors showed nodal involvement. These findings highlight the high incidence of advanced OC in Saudi Arabia and emphasize the importance of enhanced inter-institutional collaboration for earlier detection and referral of OC patients.