Epidemiologic evaluation of head and neck patients in a university hospital of Northwestern São Paulo State.

UNLABELLED Head and neck cancer accounts for nearly 200.000 new cases worldwide. A mean of 13.470 new cases of cancer in the oral cavity for 100.000 inhabitants is observed in Brazil. AIM To analyze clinical and epidemiological aspects in patients consulted in the Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ward in a University hospital of Northwestern São Paulo, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 427 patients consulted in the hospital in the period from 2000 to 2005 were investigated. The variables analyzed included: age, gender, occupation, skin color, tobacco and alcohol consumption, primary site of the tumor, clinical staging, degree of histological differentiation and outcome. The data was analyzed by descriptive and exploratory statistics. RESULTS Prevalence was found among men (86%), white color (90%), smokers (83.37%), and alcoholics (65.80%); the average age was 61 years, 24.25% of men were farmers and 60% of women, housekeepers. Primary site of tumor was usually in the oral cavity (35.37%), with histological squamous cell. The incidence of deaths was 164. CONCLUSION This study has provided the profile of the patients assisted in this hospital; moreover, it has contributed to outline further programs for preventing this disease.