title: Nutritional factors and survival of patients with oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our objective was to determine the survival rate of patients with oral cancer who were treated at a medical center in central Taiwan. Furthermore, we attempted to investigate whether nutritional factors influence the survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a retrospective review of 1010 chart records of patients with oral cancer. We used the Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the prognosticators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed an overall 5-year survival rate of 63.24%. The Cox proportional hazard model revealed that those with a preoperative body mass index (BMI) of <22.8 kg/m(2) tended to have a higher probability of death (relative risk [RR] = 1.292, p = .022). In addition, those with a preoperative serum albumin level of <4.15 g/dL were generally associated with a poorer prognosis (RR = 1.313, p = .016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apart from clinical features, nutritional factors also had a significant influence on the survival of patients with oral cancer. Therefore, good nutritional status is crucial for patients with oral cancer in improving their survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 160, Section 3, Taichung Harbor Road, Taichung 40705, Taiwan. an1654@seed.net.tw
authors.forename: Shih-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yong-Kie
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jin-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chiu-Kwan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Shou-Yee
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Ying-Lyung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Man-Yee
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chi-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chen-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ching-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin