Caspian Journal of Dental Research

---

Introduction: The geographical distribution of head and neck cancer shows considerable variation and it is site dependent. The review of the literature shows few data concerning the head and neck cancer patterns in Iran. The purpose of this study was to represent epidemiological aspects of head and neck cancers in south east of Iran.

Materials &Methods: In this retrospective study, from a total of 924 diagnosed patients with cancer in the pathology department of dentistry school archives and two main hospitals in south east of Iran during 2006-2012, 287 cases of head and neck cancer were diagnosed histopathologically . Demographic data of patients such as age, gender, location and type of cancer (carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, metastatic, or primary) were obtained from patients’ records. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software (V.21) using the chi-square test.

Results: Squamous cell carcinoma (39.7%) and basal cell carcinoma (26.8%) were the most common malignancies in the head and neck region. The mean age of the patients was 56.1±12.8 years and the relationship between age groups and head and neck cancers was not statistically significant (P=0.085). Male to female ratio was 0.9 to 1. The relationship between gender and types of head and neck cancers was not statistically significant.(P=0.114)

Conclusion: In this study, prevalence of head and neck cancer in south east of Iran (Zahedan) was relatively high. However, comparison between findings of our study with other studies shows a relation consistency.

---

Introduction: Although recent studies show the association of eosinophils with different tumors including oral malignancies, the role of eosinophils in premalignant conditions of the oral cavity is not known precisely. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the number of eosinophils in premalignant and malignant conditions of the oral cavity and its role in progression to malignancy.
Materials &Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 50 samples with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 18 with verrucous carcinoma, 13 with erosive lichen planus, and 10 with leukoplakia with mild dysplasia after confirmation of histopathological diagnosis. The samples were stained with Sirius Red. The total numbers of eosinophils in 10 areas were counted at a magnification of 400x (eosinophil/10HPF). Data are analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman’s correlation test.
Results: The mean number of eosinophils in OSCC, verrucous carcinoma, erosive lichen planus, and leukoplakia with mild dysplasia was 90.26, 59.72, 11.08 and 0.0 eosinophil/10HPF respectively. The mean number of eosinophils was significantly higher in malignant (OSCC and verrucous carcinoma) than premalignant (erosive lichen planus and leukoplakia with mild dysplasia) lesions of the oral cavity (P=0.0001). No significant correlation was found between the number of eosinophils with histopathologic grade, gender, and age in OSCC samples. 
Conclusion: The greater number of eosinophils is seen in malignant than premalignant lesions of the oral cavity. It is recommended to consider the high number of eosinophils in premalignant lesions as an indicator for a more potential of preliminary oral lesions to undergo malignant transformation.