Prognostic factors linked with poor locoregional control in tongue cancer
Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Gina Mauro Depth of invasion, lymphovascular space invasion, and positive glossectomy specimen margins were all found to be linked with inferior locoregional control (LRC) in patients with pT1-2N0 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who were treated with partial glossectomy and elective neck dissection alone. The retrospective findings, which were presented during the 2024 ASTRO Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, were seen even with final negative tumor bed margins. Results showed that, at a median follow-up of 45.6 months, the 3-year LRC and overall survival (OS) rates were 88.0% and 92.5%, respectively, in the all-comer patient population. In patients with pT1 disease, these rates were 92.0% and 95.2%, respectively; they were 85.0% and 90.5% in those with pT2 disease. However, upon the multivariate analysis, those with positive glossectomy margins had worse LRC (HR, 6.66; 95% CI, 1.60-27.78; P = .009). Lymphovascular space invasion (HR, 6.90; 95% CI, 1.42-33.65; P = .02) and depth of invasion (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.06-1.63; P = .01) were also associated with inferior LRC. “Patients with these risk factors may be considered for adjuvant radiotherapy to optimize disease control,” lead study author Michael Modzelewski, MD, of Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, in Pasadena, California, and coinvestigators wrote in a poster presented at the meeting. Patients who have early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma do not typically receive adjuvant radiation because they are often at low risk for recurrence. Following surgery, the status of main glossectomy specimen margin has been shown [...]