title: Prognostic factors in the surgical treatment of patients with oral carcinoma.
abstract: The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical outcome of patients treated surgically for oral carcinoma. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of 356 patients with oral cavity cancer whose clinicopathological information had been collected prospectively onto a dedicated head and neck database. Disease recurrence and survival were assessed. Neck metastases occurred in 42% of patients. Tumour thickness (both 2 and 5 mm) predicted the presence of nodal metastases. Both pathological T stage (P < 0.001) and tumour thickness cut-off of 5 mm (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of disease-specific survival. With a median follow up of 41 months, overall survival at 5 years was 59% and disease-specific survival was 73%. Patients with thick tumours have a high risk of nodal metastases and this supports the liberal use of elective selective neck dissection in patients with clinically negative necks.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute, Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. drrajanspatel@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rajan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dirven
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wyten
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery