Oral cancer in young non-habitue females: a report of four cases and review of the literature

Background: The aim of this study is to highlight the growing incidence of oral cancer in young females without apparent traditional risk factors. Methods: We present a case series of young female patients with histopathologically diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and no known exposure to major risk factors, reporting to our institution over one year. A review of the literature was carried out to find documented studies on oral cancer in young females. Results: We found an increase in the number of young female patients presenting with squamous cell carcinomas on the lateral border of the tongue who did not have any of the traditional risk factors associated with the disease, which is in contrast with the number of male patients presenting with the same disease. Conclusions: Our study highlights the increasing incidence of oral cancer in young females without apparent traditional risk factors, an area of growing concern. Published studies in this particular group are limited. Nevertheless, the situation is alarming owing to the seriousness this problem poses for the community. More research is required to determine the aetiological and risk factors associated with this outcome.