Oncological benefits of postoperative radiotherapy in node-negative early stage cancer of the oral cavity with isolated perineural invasion.

Abstract

Perineural invasion has been widely regarded as a poor prognostic factor in cancer of the oral cavity, but adjuvant treatment based only on this is still debatable. We have made an effort to address the question in a retrospective analysis of data from 2009-15 of patients with early node-negative cancers of the oral cavity. Patients with perineural invasion were divided into those who were treated with radiotherapy and those who were not. The records of a total of 169 patients were analysed, and 118 were given adjuvant radiotherapy and 51 were not. The median (range) duration of follow up was 45 (26-86) months. Of 169 patients, 47 (28%) developed recurrence, 28 in the treated, and 19 in the untreated, group. There was a significant disease-free survival benefit for adjuvant treatment (p = 0.047) but no overall survival benefit (p = 0.54). We conclude that adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered for patients with perineural invasion, even in early cancers of the oral cavity.

• Authors: S K Rajappa, D Ram, H Shukla, G Mandal, M Venkatasubramaniyan, A Dubey, M Agarwal, R Kumar, A K Dewan
• Journal: The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery (Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg) Vol. 57 Issue 5 Pg. 454-459 (06 2019) ISSN: 1532-1940 [Electronic] Scotland
• PMID: 31031061 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (pathology, radiotherapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mouth Neoplasms (pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
• Neoplasm Staging
• Postoperative Period
• Prognosis
• Radiotherapy, Adjuvant (methods)
• Retrospective Studies