Oral squamous cell carcinoma of the mandibular region: A survival study.
BACKGROUND
Oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the mandibular region present the lowest survival rates of the whole oral cavity. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the prognostic significance of several diagnostic and therapeutic variables in the survival rates of these carcinomas.


METHODS
Forty-nine patients with oral cancers were treated by primary site surgery, involving mandibular resection in all cases. Thirty-one patients underwent postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy.


RESULTS
Overall mean survival time and 5-year survival rate were 56.5 months and 44%, respectively. Patients in stages III and IV showed a statistically significant (p = .01) lower survival rate than those in stage II, and positive surgical margins had an adverse effect on survival (p = .03). No differences were found between patients treated by marginal or segmental mandibulectomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Among the prognostic predictors studied, only the status of the surgical resection margin (odds ratio, 5.7) and tumor stage (III and IV vs II showed odds ratios of 2.1 and 3.6, respectively) affected the prognosis for SCC of the mandibular region. Tumor site was not associated with prognosis but was related with the probability that surgical margins were involved.
De Vicente
J C
JC
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Central de Asturias, University of Oviedo, C/ Julián Clavería, s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain. jvicente@correo.uniovi.es
Recio
O R
OR
Pendás
S L
SL
López-Arranz
J S
JS
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis