A BSTRACT Introduction: The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue has been rising among younger populations, particularly among women. Research findings suggest that SCCOT in younger individuals is similar to that observed in older patients. However, there are noticeable differences in epidemiological characteristics between these two age groups, with lower associations with alcohol and tobacco use observed in younger patients. Furthermore, the expression levels of the detoxification enzyme super-family glutathione S-transferase, including GSTP1, differ across age groups. Exposure to toxic substances like alcohol, tobacco, and betel is a significant risk factor for SCCOT, and reduced GSTP1 function has been associated with a higher cancer risk. Objective: The study aimed to compare squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue between different age and gender groups. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary care center from April 2021 to April 2024. The study population included 295 cases of SCCOT with histological confirmation, of which 106 were excluded due to the unavailability of tissue blocks or clinical records. The analysis was performed on 189 cases. The tumor size and depth of invasion were compared between age and sex groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the four groups: young men, young women, elderly men, and old women. These patients were followed up for 2 years for recurrences and cancer-related deaths. Results: Fifty-one out of 189 cases were younger than 45 years, and although there were more women in the younger group, the difference was not statistically significant. The drinking and smoking habits of different age groups were comparable. The only notable variation between age and sex in histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses was the higher histologic grades seen in younger patients. Conclusion: According to the analysis, a matched sample of young males, older men, and older women performed no worse in terms of outcomes than did young women with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Adjuvant radiation therapy was more common among young women with OTSCC, and they frequently received radiation therapy in circumstances when National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommendations did not support its use.
Kshirsagar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.