IMPORTANCEReports characterizing clinical and histologic features associated with a higher risk for development of malignant lesions in the background of an oral potentially malignant disorder have largely reflected East Asian populations. Long-term studies among the North American population are rare.OBJECTIVE To evaluate risk of malignant transformation (MT) of oral dysplastic lesions by investigating the demographic, social, clinical, and histologic factors that may be associated with an increased rate as well as a decreased time to MT.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis was a retrospective cohort study with medical record review at a single institution from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019, with follow-up for 20 years. Patients were excluded if they were younger than 18 years, the first biopsy diagnosis showed cancer, biopsies were never performed, biopsies were taken from sites outside of the oral cavity, there was no additional follow-up after the first visit, or the biopsy specimen was not characterized on the spectrum of dysplasia.EXPOSURES Diagnosis of leukoplakia of oral mucosa, unspecified lesions of oral mucosa, or other disturbances of oral epithelium.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESMain outcome measures included MT rate and time to MT as well as demographic, social, clinical, physical, and histologic features associated with MT.RESULTS Thirty-eight of 264 lesions (14%) in 241 patients (132 men and 109 women; mean [SD] age, 64 [13] years) underwent MT. Of the 38 lesions that underwent MT, 19 (50%) underwent transformation by 424 days, 28 (75%) by 870 days, and 34 (90%) by 1600 days. Nodularity, friability, and mass effect were more commonly observed in malignant lesions (