Oral squamous cell carcinoma: clinicopathological features in patients with and without recurrence

To compare the clinicopathological profile of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in groups with and without recurrence.

Records of all patients who underwent surgery for primary OSCC at a single institution during 1999 were identified. Patient demographics, lesion site, clinical and pathologic stage, pathologic grading, pattern of invasion, lymphocytic infiltrate, perineural invasion, and treatment and survival data were collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each variable and survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox models. Patients were divided into 2 groups: with (n = 25) and without (n = 28) recurrence.

Tongue (p = 0.02) and poorly differentiated (p = 0.04) tumors were associated with recurrence. Kaplan-Meier and Cox models revealed tobacco use and the absence of lymphocytic infiltrate to be associated with the poorest survival in recurrent OSCC.

The tumor site, tobacco use, and pathological features were involved in the recurrence of OSCC and should be taken into account for OSCC treatment and follow-up.