Survival Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Three Different Procedures

Objectives: to study the survival of the squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharyns using three different procedures. Methods: survival analysis, retrospective, not randomised. 176 patients were included. All of them were diagnosed of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharyns with no metastasis. They were treated in the Maxillofacial Service of the Cruces Hospital from 1990 to 2006. Patients were classified into three groups based upon the treatment after the removal of the tumour i.- No intervention was carried out, just observation n=47 ii - Cervical dissection was done n=71 and iii - Sentinel node biopsy n= 58. In all cases the presence of occult metastasis and the date of death was recorded. Results: Occult metastasis: There is no statistical significant differences in the different placement p= 0,11; sex p=0,08; age p=0,9 ;and they do not depend on the treatment group (p=0,61). Survival: i observational group, (80,85% alive) 9 dead due to the carcinoma. Survival time 163 months (CI 143-184 months). Accumulative survival 0,8 at 50 months. Group ii, cervical dissection survival (70,42%) 21 dead due to the carcinoma. Survival time 145 months ( CI 126- 165 months ). The accumulative survival is less than in group i =0,7. Group iii, sentinel node survival (93,10%) 4 died because of the cancer. Survival Time 65 (CI 61-69 months). In this group the follow-up time is shorter than 6 years. Stabilization of the accumulative survival can be noticed at 0,9 after 30 months. Conclusion: Sentinel node biopsy is the procedure which presents the best survival result although a longer period of time would be necessary to conclude about its efficacy.