Background: To examine to what extent physicians follow a regional guidelines for the diagnosis, staging, treatment and follow-up of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower and upper lip.
Design: retrospective analysis of data from the medical records of 42 patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower and upper lip during the period 1990-2000.
Setting: Department of head and neck pathology, oral cavity and audio-verbal communication of Naples University.
Participants: the data were collected by this Department.
Results: In accordance with the TNM system, the 50% of cases was in stage T1, 33% in T2, 14% in T3. In few cases (3%) the lesion was in stage T4. All cases were in M0 and only 8% of cases presented nodal disease at diagnosis (N1). The type of treatment in relation to age was in agreement with the guidelines in 34% of cases. Of the 42 surgically-treated patients, only 4 showed, after 12 months, a local recurrence.
Conclusions: Prognosis is good if squamous carcinoma is diagnosed early.