title: Outcome of Palliative and Radical Radiotherapy in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - a Retrospective Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The treatment selection for the oral squamous cell carcinoma remains controversial. Radiation therapy or surgical excision of the lesion can be applied as the sole treatment or it can be used in combination with other treatment modalities. Radiotherapy is considered to be the safest of all the treatment modalities and can be used in several situations for oral and oropharyngeal cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival outcome differences in patients treated with radical and palliative radiotherapy as the primary treatment modality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a total of 47 patients with oral cancer reporting to our hospital between years 2009 to 2010. The age group for the selected patients was more than 65 years, treated with radical and palliative radiotherapy with no prior surgical interventions. Patients were evaluated till Dec 2013 for overall survival time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty nine patients were treated with radical radiotherapy as main stay of treatment, out of which 21 died during the follow up time with median survival of 352 ± 281.7 days with 8 patients alive. All the 16 patients were dead who received palliative radiotherapy with a median survival time of 112 ± 144.0 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective study showed improved overall survival time, loco regional control rates and reduced morbidity in patients treated with radical radiotherapy when compared to patients treated with palliative radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Lincoln's University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia E-mail : darshandevang@ gmail.com.
authors.forename: Narendra Prakash
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Darshan Devang
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Divakar
authors.forename: Abdulaziz Abdullah
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al Kheraif
authors.forename: Ravikumar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnaiah
authors.forename: Shabil Mohamed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Durgesh
authors.forename: Santhosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basavarajappa
authors.forename: Aftab Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate