Implant survival in patients with oral cancer: A 5-year follow-up

To evaluate the evolution of patients rehabilitated with endosseous implants after oral cancer treatment.

An observational retrospective study was carried out between 1991 and 2011 with a sample consisting of patients with oral cancer who had been referred for rehabilitation to the Prosthetics Rehabilitation Unit from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. All these patients have overcome oral cancer, and have a five-year follow-up after their oral rehabilitation. Age, sex, smoking habits, oral pathology, type of treatment of oral pathology, edentulism, receptor bone, prosthetic rehabilitation, timeouts, working time and evolution were studied. SPSS Statistics was used for statistical analysis of the variables studied. A chi-square test centered on the survival rate of implants placed in relation to the other recorded variables was performed.

17 patients were treated for cancer and rehabilitated with implant prosthetics, with a total of 106 implants placed. 32% were partially edentulous patients (4 patients), and 68.2% were completely edentulous patients (13 patients). An implant survival rate of 87.7% was observed at 5 years. In the upper maxilla, the survival rate was 79.2%, and in the mandible 93.7% (p = 0.03). 91 implants were placed in native receptor bones (85.8%), with only 15 implants placed in grafted receptor bone (14.2%). According to the type of receptor bone, in native receptor bones, 9 implants failed (90.1% of implant survival), while in grafted receptor bones, 4 implants failed (overall 73.3% implant survival rate) (p = 0.08).

Although a high survival rate was obtained in this study (with lower survival rates seen in mandible and grafted bone), prospective long-term studies are needed to assess the relationship between radiotherapy doses and the time required for implant placement, prosthetic protocol used, and type of implants used in patients selected for prosthetic rehabilitation. Key words:Dental implant, oral cancer, survival.