The purpose of the oral mass schreening conducted at our hospital was early detection and prompt treatment of oral cancer and precancerous symptoms.
This report will show the epidemiological status of oral mucosal abnormality and precancerous lesions in a selected population of 3, 574 Japanese (1, 066 women, 2, 508 men, ranging in age from 22 to 76) during August 1990 to August 1991.
1. Out of 36 cases in which biopsies were performed, 17 cases were found to have leukoplakia (0.5%),
4 wiht lichen planus (0.1%), and 15 cases with other diseases (0.5%).
2. In 17 Ieukoplakia patients, differences were not statistically significant between men and women (P<0.005) and between age groups (p<0.005). The most common site of oral mucosal diseases was gingiva (47%), follwed by cheek (23%), and tongue (17%).
3. Smokers accounted for 94% of the patients with leukoplakia, and 31% of the individuals who were found heathy. This means a statistically significant difference betwwen smokers and nonsmokers (p<0.005).
4. The percentage of denture using examinees were 35% for patients with leukoplakia and 31% for healthy individuals. There was no significant diffemence between them (p <0.005).