Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in different age groups

Head Neck. 2017 Nov;39(11):2276-2282. doi: 10.1002/hed.24898. Epub 2017 Aug 26.

Abstract

Background: The clinicopathological features and outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue in patients of different age groups remain debatable.

Methods: Medical records of 457 patients with tongue SCC were reviewed, grouped by age, followed up, and compared.

Results: Sex and TNM stage showed no intergroup differences. Tongue SCC in patients ≤30 years had the most advanced TNM classification and greatest proportion of poorly differentiation tumors. Both disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) showed no statistically significant difference between the youngest and the oldest groups (P = .605 and P = .520). However, there was a tendency of higher death rate caused by recurrence or metastasis in the youngest group compared with the others (91.7% vs 75.4% and 77.4%).

Conclusion: Young patients had a tendency of higher death rate caused by recurrence or metastasis than middle-age and older patients; therefore, a larger case sample is needed for further confirmation.

Keywords: oral cancer; squamous cell carcinoma; survival; tongue; young people.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / therapy
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Tongue Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Tongue Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Tongue Neoplasms / therapy
  • Treatment Outcome