Descriptive epidemiology of oral neoplasms in sudan 1970‐1985 and the role of toombak

Data from 1,916 cases of oral neoplasms occurring in the Sudan in a 16‐year period, from January 1970 to December 1985, were retrieved and analysed. The study revealed a relatively high frequency of oral neoplasms in comparison with neighbouring countries. In this study, squamous‐cell carcinoma was the most common oral malignancy (66.5%), followed by tumours of the salivary gland (14.7%), neoplasms of non‐odontogenic and non‐epithelial origin (9.6%) and odontogenic neoplasms (8.6%). Men had a higher frequency than women. The older age group of both genders showed a relatively high frequency of squamous‐cell carcinoma. Among northern Sudanese there was a high rate of squamous‐cell carcinoma, while southern Sudanese showed a high rate of odontogenic and salivary‐gland neoplasms. The use of toombak has been stated to play a major role in the aetiology of oral squamous‐cell carcinoma in the Sudan, and is suspected to be associated with neoplasms of the salivary glands. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc .