Browsing by Author "Ruokonen, Hellevi"

Oral lichen planus and lichenoid lesions (OLP and OLL) are regarded as precursor lesions of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with potential for malignant transformation. Our aim was to identify cancer-related etiological factors (such as alcohol consumption and smoking) and to pay special attention to previously identified OLP or OLL as precursor lesions in oral epidermoid cancer. We retrospectively reviewed all cases (total 323, comprising 164 females and 159 males) with OSCC treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases and Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital during 2015. Confirmed by histopathological biopsy, 71 patients had OLP or OLL as precursor lesion. Patients with OLP or OLL were slightly older than those without them. OLP and OLL were more common in females than males. Cancer recurrences and TN class 1 tumors were more prevalent among patients with OLP and OLL as well. Interestingly, smoking and alcohol abuse were less frequent among OLL and OLP patients compared to other patients diagnosed by OSCC. Our findings confirm the importance of active follow-up of all patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral lichenoid lesion (OLL) to detect the possible malignant transformation of these lesions.