A preliminary comparative study of the prognostic implications of type 2 diabetes mellitus for patients with primary gingival carcinoma treated with surgery and radiation therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) may be a risk factor in determining cancer progression. The aim of this study was to compare the progression of primary gingival cancer in patients with DM2 and nondiabetic patients.


METHODS
Prospective follow-up studies involved patients with gingival squamous cell carcinoma in stage T2-3N0M0. Treatment comprised surgical tumor extirpation, block resection of the mandible, functional cervical dissection, and 60 Gy of adjuvant irradiation. The patients were divided into a group of patients with DM2 (DM group) and a nondiabetic, control group. Progression data was recorded after a 2-year period of clinical follow-up. Surgical samples were assessed histopathologically from the aspect of tumor spread.


RESULTS
At the end of a 2-year follow-up period, the DM group demonstrated significantly worse clinical results in terms of cervical lymph node metastases (P<.05) and mortality rate (P<.001). Histologically, the degree of tumor invasion was significantly different in the DM group and controls (P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
DM2 can be considered a possible prognostic factor in cases of gingival carcinoma, forecasting an unfavorable course.
Ujpál
Márta
M
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Barabás
József
J
Kovalszky
Ilona
I
Szabó
György
G
Németh
Zsolt
Z
Gábris
Katalin
K
Suba
Zsuzsanna
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies