Fifty nine patients with histologically confirmed cases of oral malign
ant neoplasia were included in this study, There was a male prepondera
nce with the male to female ratio being 2.5 to 1.0. The average waitin
g period before presentation was 8.9 +/- 6.5 months (range: two to 24
months), Squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant variety, 50.8%, o
f all malignancies recorded, The alveolar ridge and the gingivae were
the commonest sites accounting for 40.7% of all cases, Majority of the
patients with squamous cell carcinoma, (80.8%), presented with stage
IV of this disease, The pattern of oral malignancies in the population
studied appears slightly different from earlier observations in Weste
rn Europe and Asia, The necessity to strengthen research on the epidem
iology of the disease in Nigeria and other African countries is highli
ghted.