Introduction and aims: Numerous publications have already demonstrated that diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for the development of periodontal diseases and various inflammatory lesions in the oral mucosa. A possible correlation between DM and oral premalignancies and tumors was examined in this study, as no literature data are available concerning this problem.
Methods: Stomato-oncological screening was carried out on 200 DM patients in the medical departments: The lesions found were classified in three groups: inflammatory lesions, benign tumors and precancerous lesions. Benign tumors were found in 14.5%, and precancerous lesions in 8% of diabetics. Earlier Hungarian screening studies indicated lower frequency of these lesions in the general population. A retrospective DM screening of 610 inpatients with histologically confirmed oral malignancies was also performed. The control group comprised 574 complaint- and tumor-free adults. Fasting blood glucose levels were determined in both groups, and the tumor location was registered in the cancer patients.
Results: In the group of the oral cancer patients, DM was present in 14.6% and an elevated blood glucose level in 9.7%. These values are significantly higher than those for the tumor-free control group (p < 0.01). The gingival and labial tumor location was significantly more frequent among diabetic cancer patients than in the non-diabetic group (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: The combination of DM and smoking means a higher risk for oral precancerous lesions and malignancies. DM may be a risk factor for oral premalignancies and tumors.