The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on survival in T1-2N1 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the survival impact of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) in patients with early T stage (T1-2) oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and a single positive lymph node.


METHODS
Between 1983 and 2004, a total of 1539 patients were treated with surgery for T1-2N1 OCSCC.


METHODS
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to determine whether postoperative RT improves survival in patients with T1-2N1 OCSCC.


RESULTS
Postoperative RT improved the 5-year overall survival rate (41.4% for surgery alone vs 54.2% for surgery plus RT [P < .001]). Improvement in overall survival in patients with T1N1 disease did not achieve statistical significance with the addition of RT in contradistinction to that in patients with T2N1 disease. Adjuvant RT improved survival in patients with T2 tongue and floor of mouth disease (52.3% vs 37.9% [P = .002] and 39.9% vs 17.7% [P = .003], respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In cases involving T1-2N1 OCSCC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, the use of RT is associated with statistically significant improved overall survival and cause-specific survival in patients with T2 disease, most strongly in the oral tongue and the floor of the mouth.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck SurgerySurgery/Surgical Oncology, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Hospital, USA. shrime@gmail.com
Mark G
MG
Shrime
Patrick J
PJ
Gullane
Laura
L
Dawson
John
J
Kim
Ralph W
RW
Gilbert
Jonathan C
JC
Irish
Dale H
DH
Brown
David P
DP
Goldstein
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D037981:Neck Dissection; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018426:SEER Program; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology