Survival Following Non Surgical Treatments for Oral Cancer: a Single Institutional Result

Aim: To report the results of radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in the patients with oral cancer.

Methods: Over the 2003-2009 periods, a total number of 69 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity that refused surgery or had unresectable tumor were enrolled in this study. A total dose of 60 to 70 Gy (2 Gy per day) was given to the primary tumor and clinically positive nodes. In the patients with locoregionally advanced disease (57 patients with T3, T4 lesions and/ or N+) induction chemotherapy following by concomitant chemoradiation was used. Induction chemotherapy consisted of 3 cycles of Cisplatin and 5-Flourouracil with or without Docetaxel. Weekly cisplatin was used in concomitant protocol. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival. Log-rank test and Cox regression model were used for comparison purposes.

Results: Median follow-up was 32 months. The mean age of the patients was 59.2 years. The overall response rate after induction chemotherapy was 68.4%. Actuarial overall survival rates after 2 and 3 years were 38% and 26%, respectively. Clinical stage emerged as the only independent predictor of survival.

Conclusion: Outcome of the patients with oral cancer is poor. Presenting with an advanced stage lesion contributed to this result. The role of chemotherapy in advanced cases remains to be defined.