• 8/23/2006
  • Baltimore, MD
  • RA Ord
  • J Oral Maxillofac Surg, September 1, 2006; 64(9): 1409-14

Purpose:
To evaluate local and regional recurrence and the outcomes for salvage surgery in patients for oral cancer.

Patients and Methods:
This study analyzed 354 consecutive patients with oral cancer treated primarily by surgery or surgery combined with adjuvant therapy by 1 surgeon (R.A.O.) between February 1991 and September 2001.

Results:
Overall recurrence rate was 15.5%; with 5.4% local, 8.5% regional, and 1.4% locoregional. Overall salvage for local recurrence was 52.6% 3-year survival, and statistically significant favorable prognostic factors were salvaged by surgery alone and initial cancer staging of I/II. Overall salvage for regional recurrence was 50%, with recurrence in a previously untreated neck and salvage with radical neck dissection plus radiotherapy giving the best prognosis. No patients with locoregional recurrence were salvaged.

Conclusions:
Patients who were stage I/II and were treated initially by surgery alone were the best candidates for salvage if they recurred. Salvage was best achieved with surgery or surgery + adjuvant therapy, and patients recurring within 6 months had a worse survival. Patients with locoregional recurrence or treated with RT +/- chemotherapy alone have negligible survival.

Authors:
RA Ord, A Kolokythas, and MA Reynolds

Authors’ affiliation:
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Maryland, Greenbaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD