Résumé

<p>Abstract </p><p>Background: Despite the scientific advances achieved during this century in cancer management, nevertheless, the cancer </p><p>disease remains one of the most fatal sickens globally and little data are available on oral cancer mortality in most low- </p><p>income countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aim: To assess the frequency of oral cancer mortality </p><p>in the Department of Dental medicine at the Kinshasa University Hospital. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study </p><p>based on the records of patients who died from oral cancer was conducted in the Department of Dental Medicine, </p><p>Kinshasa University Hospital spanning over a period of 20 years (2000 to 2019). The data were collected from the </p><p>records of patients with a histologically proven diagnosis of cancer. Pertinent parameters included Age, sex, stage of </p><p>disease, histological type of tumor and probability of survival of patients were evaluated. Results: During the study, 889 </p><p>patients were hospitalized in the Department. Out of 91 patients who died while in hospital, 49 deaths (53.8%) were from </p><p>oral cancer in 57% males. Median age was 46.02±19.6 years and sex ratio of male/female of 1.3. The epidermoid or </p><p>squamous cell carcinoma (63.3%) was the most frequent histological type of malignancy, and the majority of deaths </p><p>(96%) occurred at and advanced cT4NM clinical stage with 90% having less than 200 days prognostic survival chance. </p><p>Conclusion: The frequency of lethality in the present study was high and constitutes a health problem concern in theDemocratic Republic of Congo. This study emphasizes the primary role devoted to oral health professionals in education, </p><p>population, prevention, early detection and early management of oral cancer. </p><p>Keywords: Oral cancer; Survival; Lethality; Kinshasa.</p>