ANALYSIS OF DETECTION OF DENTAL ONCOPATHOLOGY

Abstract

Timely diagnosis of precancerous conditions and necessary treatment can serve as a real foundation for the prevention of cancer of the oral mucosa, tongue, vermilion border of the lips, and maxillofacial region. Oncological vigilance, both for the physician and the patient, involves knowledge about malignant diseases, attentive care for one's health, regular check-ups to rule out pathology, and timely treatment and follow-up care when necessary. The article presents an analysis of materials from the Poltava Regional Clinical Oncology Center for the years 2019-2023. According to the results, 365 cases of malignant oral cavity diseases were detected during this period, accounting for 5.54 cases per 100,000 population, while the national average in Ukraine was 4.74. The average percentage of advanced-stage cases over the five years in the region was 78.36%, compared to 59.52% nationwide. It should be noted that the highest rate of advanced-stage cases in the Poltava region was recorded in 2023, reaching 87.36%. Of the total number of patients, 76.72% were men, and 23.28% were women, meaning men are affected 3.29 times more often than women. The majority of detected malignant neoplasms occur in mature and elderly age groups. In 2019-2023, 17.5% of cases of tongue root cancer, 21.9% of unspecified parts of the tongue, 11.2% of gums, 22.2% of the floor of the oral cavity, 6.3% of the palate, 16.7% of salivary glands, and 4.1% of other parts of the oral cavity were detected by localization. In 2019, 100% of neglect was accounted for by cancer of the tongue root, gums, and mucous membranes of other parts of the oral cavity. In 2020, the highest rate of neglect 92.9% was found in malignant neoplasms of unspecified parts of the tongue. In 2021, 100% of the neglect rate was diagnosed with cancer of the gums and mucous membrane of other parts of the mouth. In 2022 and 2023, the rate in the latter area was also the highest and amounted to 100%, and was also high in the detection of neoplasms of the floor of the mouth (94.1%) and palate (100%). Thus, tongue cancer accounts for the highest rate (39.4% of cases). The second place is occupied by the cancer of the floor of the mouth (22.2% of cases), and the third is salivary gland cancer (16.7% of cases). The detected disease at stages I-II amounted to 18.4%. Thus, the number of advanced cases was 81.6%. All patients with precancerous conditions in the maxillofacial region should be under dispensary observation by a dentist. Typical signs of malignancy include: loss of tendency toward epithelialization, growth and appearance of granulation, bleeding, thickening at the base, and significant keratinization of the tissues of the lesion itself and the surrounding area. Final confirmation of malignancy requires histological examination. Patients with obligate forms of precancerous conditions should be monitored by oncologists.

Keywords

• cancer awareness
• precancerous conditions
• maxillofacial area
• malignization