Perioperative complications and survival in patients with oral cancer

This study identifies factors that predict for outcome and complications in patients with mouth cancer. Out of a total of 276 patients, one third received radiotherapy alone and the remainder surgery (182) of which 62 also received adjuvant radiotherapy. Factors predicting an adverse outcome at a univariate level were male gender, recurrent disease, no partner, co-existing systemic disease (abdomen and respiratory), alcohol intake, non Caucasian, stage of disease, scale of surgery, decreasing differentiation of tumour, increasing hospital stay and blood loss. On multivariate analysis, female gender, reduced scale of surgery, absence of recurrence, excess alcohol consumption, increased hospital stay and duration of surgery were predictive of improved survival. Complications occurred in 85 patients (47%). Predictive variables on univariate analysis were preexisting cardio-respiratory disease, alcohol consumption, stage of disease, nature and scale of surgery. The 5 year disease specific survival was 87% for stage I, 75% for stage II, 62% for stage III and 43% for stage IV with a 3.2% operative death rate.