Postoperative radiotherapy for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma with intermediate risk of recurrence: A case match study

Head Neck. 2017 Jul;39(7):1399-1404. doi: 10.1002/hed.24780. Epub 2017 Apr 28.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on recurrence and survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of intermediate recurrence risk.

Methods: Intermediate risk patients, defined as pT1, pT2, pN0, or pN1 with at least one adverse pathological feature (eg, lymphovascular/perineural invasion), were identified from the head and neck databases of the Liverpool Head and Neck Cancer Unit and the Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute. Patients who received surgery and PORT were case matched with patients treated by surgery alone based on pN, pT, margins, and pathological features.

Results: Ninety patients were matched into 45 pairs. There was significant improvement (P = .039) in locoregional control with PORT (84%) compared with surgery alone (60%), which was concentrated in the pN1 subgroup (P = .036), but not the pN0 subgroup (P = .331).

Conclusion: PORT significantly improves locoregional control for intermediate risk OSCC.

Keywords: T1/T2; case-matched cohort study; locoregional control; oral cancer; postoperative radiotherapy; survival.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / radiotherapy*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / surgery
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Databases, Factual
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / surgery
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Reference Values
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome