[Prognostic factors and survival rates in oral cavity cancers]

We evaluated the treatment results and prognostic factors that might affect local control and survival in patients receiving radiotherapy for oral cavity cancers.

The study included 32 patients (16 men, 16 women; mean age 62 years; range 26 to 90 years) who received radiotherapy for oral cavity cancers. All the patients had squamous cell carcinoma, which involved the tongue in 15 patients (46.9%) and the lower lip in 13 patients (40.6%). Most of the patients (n=21, 65.7%) had T1 or T2 tumors. Neck lymph nodes were positive in 11 patients (34.4%). Fifteen patients had early stage (stage I, II), 17 patients had advanced stage (stage III, IV) tumors. Sixteen patients received primary radiotherapy and 16 patients received postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, with doses ranging from 5000 cGy to 7000 cGy. The mean follow-up period was 68 months (range 5 to 147 months).

Two-year and five-year survival rates were 53% and 39%, respectively. Age, sex, tumor differentiation, and the total radiotherapy dose were not found to affect survival (p>0.05), whereas tumor size, positive lymph nodes, stage, and treatment modality were found as significant prognostic factors (p=0.01).

Our data show that tumor size, lymph node involvement, stage, and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy are significant parameters that affect survival in oral cavity cancers.