Presentation, treatment, and outcome of oral cavity cancer: a National Cancer Data Base report.
BACKGROUND
Oral cancer has been identified as a significant public health threat. Systematic evaluation of the impact of this disease on the US population is of great importance to health care providers and policy makers.


METHODS
This study used the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to evaluate associations between demographic and disease characteristics, treatment, and survival for patients with oral cavity cancer in the United States. Of patients diagnosed between 1985 and 1996, 58,976 were extracted from the NCDB. ANOVAs were performed on selected cross-tabulations, and relative survival was used to calculate outcome.


RESULTS
Median age of patients was 64.0 years. Men made up 60.2% of patients. Pathologic diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 86.3% of cases. Younger patients had a much higher frequency of non-SCC, and this was related to survival in these patients. African-Americans (independent of income), lower income patients, and patients with higher grade disease were seen more frequently with advanced-stage SCC. Five-year relative survival for SCC cases was lower for older patients, men, and African-Americans.


CONCLUSIONS
This study addressed many issues related to oral cancer that have been previously discussed in the literature. The demographic, site, stage, histologic, and survival data available for this large number of cases in the NCDB allowed an accurate characterization of the contemporary status of oral cancer in the United States.
Funk
Gerry F
GF
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 212 PFP, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242.
Karnell
Lucy Hynds
LH
Robinson
Robert A
RA
Zhen
Weining K
WK
Trask
Douglas K
DK
Hoffman
Henry T
HT
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D019992:Databases as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States