Retrospective DOSAK Study on carcinomas of the oral cavity: results and consequences

In a multicentre, retrospective observational study on carcinomas of the oral cavity, including the lips and oropharynx, data material of 1021 patients has been analysed. The specific goals of this study were: Review of existing proposals for classification. Analysis of prognostically relevant factors of the tumour disease. Construction of a prognostic index for the determination of individual and collective prognoses. The following results were achieved: ad 1: All existing TNM-Classifications of oral cavity carcinomas so far fail to meet the requirements of the necessary criteria. ad 2: The multivariate analyses of prognostically relevant factors were performed with and without taking therapeutic factors into account. The results show unequivocally that reliable prognoses are only possible if various treatment modalities are considered. ad 3: This led to the construction of the treatment-dependent prognostic index TPI, which will be eligible for use in clinical-therapeutic cancer research and in clinical practice.