Comparative clinical outcomes of Taiwanese patients with resected buccal and tongue squamous cell carcinomas

Buccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is rare in Western countries, representing approximately 10% of all oral cavity SCC [1]. However, its prevalence has been reported to be similar to that of tongue SCC in areas where betel quid chewing is endemic [2]. This phenomenon has been attributed to the well-known carcinogenic effect of betel quid chewing in the long-term [2]. The prevalence rates of betel quid chewing in Taiwanese males and females are 20.9% and 1.2%, respectively. In Taiwan, the significant sex-related differences in the frequency of tobacco and betel quid chewing may explain the higher incidence of oral cavity SCC in males (20.81 cases per 1 million persons) than in females (2.40 cases per 1 million persons).

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