Prognostic Factors of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Young Patients: A Systematic Review

The objective of this review was to identify clinical and pathologic factors related to the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma in young patients.

We conducted a literature search of articles indexed in PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Science Direct. Prospective and retrospective cohort studies published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish were included. An age threshold of 45 years was established for the purpose of selection.

A total of 14,746 articles were retrieved, and 11 relevant studies were selected. The total sample comprised 2,317 patients, and there was a predominance of male patients. The tongue was the most commonly affected anatomic site. The prevalence of tobacco use ranged from 9.0 to 85.7%, and alcohol consumption was observed in 26.1 to 78.6% of the cases studied. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption were the main risk factors in young patients. Regarding tumor-node-metastasis stage, most studies found a predominance of cases diagnosed in early stages (I and II). The studies varied widely in terms of histologic grade of malignancy and locoregional recurrences. Regional lymph node metastases had a negative impact on overall and specific survival rates.

Our findings suggest a lack of solid evidence of differences in the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma between young and older patients. This may reflect variations in the samples studied, including the prevalence of risk factors, access to health care services, and time since diagnosis.