Background and Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity, with demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and behavioral risk factors all contributing to its occurrence. Given the social and lifestyle changes of recent years, this study aimed to examine trends in demographic characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, and risk factors among OSCC patients between 2011 and 2022 in southern Iran.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective analytical study included 131 patients with a definitive histopathological diagnosis of OSCC. Data were extracted from the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, covering the years 2011 to 2022. Patients were divided into two time periods: 2011–2016 (n=69) and 2017–2022 (n=62). Information on age, sex, occupation, place of residence, tobacco and alcohol use, chronic trauma, and anatomical site of the lesion was collected. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, and binary logistic regression.
Results: The mean patient age was 59.0±15.7 years, with no significant difference between the two periods (P=0.580). Men accounted for 56.5% of patients, and the sex distribution did not differ significantly between periods (P=0.382). Smoking was the most common risk factor in both periods and showed no significant change over time. Although the prevalence of alcohol use rose from 17.4% to 25.8%, this difference was not stat