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A Prospective Study to Evaluate the Association of Sensory Dysregulation and Adverse Pathologic Features in Oral Tongue Cancers

  • 0Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Tata Memorial Center and HBNI, Mumbai, India.
Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery +

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October 7, 2025

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October 7, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sensory dysfunction in tongue cancer patients, including pain, taste loss, and impaired touch, correlates with adverse pathologic factors like perineural invasion. These sensory changes significantly impact overall survival and disease-specific survival, highlighting their prognostic value.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Neurology
  • Pathology

Background

  • Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma presents complex challenges in predicting patient outcomes.
  • Sensory dysfunction is a common but often understudied complication in these patients.
  • Understanding the link between sensory deficits and tumor pathology is crucial for improved prognostic assessment.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the correlation between sensory dysfunction (pain, taste, proprioception) and adverse pathologic factors in oral tongue cancer.
  • To identify sensory alterations that serve as prognosticators for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).

Main Methods

  • Prospective data collection on pain, gustation, and proprioception in surgically treated oral tongue cancer patients.
  • Stratification by pT stage and blinded pathological assessment.
  • Multivariate analysis for correlation with sensory dysregulations and Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis.

Main Results

  • Radiating pain, loss of sweet/salty taste, and impaired light touch/two-point discrimination were associated with advanced disease, extranodal extension, and perineural invasion (PNI).
  • Early-stage tumors with taste alterations showed links to depapillation and PNI.
  • Moderate to severe pain and loss of light touch significantly reduced OS.

Conclusions

  • Sensory deficits, including radiating pain, taste dysregulation, and impaired sensory discrimination, are strongly associated with perineural invasion (PNI) in tongue cancer.
  • These sensory changes are significant predictors of survival, underscoring their clinical importance.

Keywords:

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