title: Surgical site infection after preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with increased surgical site infection (SSI) rate in patients with locally advanced oral cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this hospital-based study, we retrospectively reviewed over 2000 chart records of patients with oral cavity cancer from March 1994 to December 2007. Those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were identified and matched for age, sex, tumor classification, primary site, and reconstruction methods to hospitalized patients who did not receive chemotherapy. Data were analyzed for the relationship between chemotherapy and SSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 306 patients were enrolled for final analyses. The overall postoperative SSI rate was 31.0%. The SSI rate in patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was similar to that in patients who did not receive the chemotherapy (33.3% vs 29.9%, p = .631).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with increased SSI rate in patients with locally advanced oral cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong-Kie
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ching-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chen-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rong-San
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hui-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jin-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*