title: Oral tongue cancer in young patients: a matched analysis.
abstract: Previous studies on squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue have reported conflicting results with respect to age and prognosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate if any differences in outcome exist between patients younger and older than 40 years. A case-control study was performed. Patients recorded in the head and neck cancer registry of Milano-Bicocca School of Medicine between January 1981 and December 1998 were reviewed. Cases were patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue aged 40 years or less. Controls were patients older than 40 who were matched to cases for diagnosis, sex and TNM classification. Two controls were matched for each case, thus forty-six cases and 92 controls were selected. The frequency of recurrences was found to be significantly higher in younger patients. The survival analysis further supports this conclusion (log-rank test, p=0.002). The number of cancer-related deaths in patients younger and older than 40 years were 23 (50%) and 31 (34%), respectively (p=0.10). A statistical significant difference emerged when the number of deaths was compared using survival curves (log-rank test, p=0.05). In conclusion, in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, young age is an independent predictor of worse survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, DNTB, Ospedale San Gerardo, 20052 Monza (MI), Italy. werner.garavello@unimib.it
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Garavello
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spreafico
authors.forename: Renato Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gaini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012042:Registries; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy