Survival outcomes after treatment of cancer of the oral cavity (1985–2015)

Publication date: March 2019

Source: Oral Oncology, Volume 90

Author(s): Daniella Karassawa Zanoni, Pablo H. Montero, Jocelyn C. Migliacci, Jatin P. Shah, Richard J. Wong, Ian Ganly, Snehal G. Patel

Abstract

Objectives

To present treatment results of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) at a tertiary cancer care center from 1985 to 2015.

Materials and methods

A total of 2082 patients were eligible for this study. Main outcomes measured were overall survival (OS) and disease specific survival (DSS). Prognostic variables were identified with bivariate analyses using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank testing for comparison. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant and significant factors were entered into multivariate analysis. Median age was 62 years (16–100), 56% were men, 66% reported a history of tobacco use and 71% of alcohol consumption. The most common subsite was tongue (51%). Seventy-three percent of patients had cT1-2 and 71% had clinically negative necks (cN0). Surgery alone was performed in 1348 patients (65%), adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy in 608 patients (29%) and postoperative chemoradiation in 126 patients (6%). Neck dissection was performed in 920 patients with cN0, and in 585 patients with a clinically involved neck. The median follow-up was 37.6 months (range 1–382).

Results

The 5-year OS and DSS were 64.4% and 79.3%, respectively. Age, comorbidities, margin status, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, AJCC 8th edition pT, and pN were independent prognostic factors of OS (p < 0.05). History of alcohol consumption, margin status, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, pT, and pN were independent prognostic factors of DSS (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

pN stage is the most powerful and consistent predictor of outcome in patients with OSCC treated with primary surgery and appropriate adjuvant therapy.

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