Depth of invasion in early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: The optimal cut-off value for elective neck dissection

Abstract Background Treatment of clinical N0 neck tumours is controversial in early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), possibly because T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 merge together at early stages. The purposes of this study were to compare survival outcomes only for T2N0M0 cases based upon treatment elective neck dissection versus neck observation. Methods T2N0M0 OSCC cases were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database of the United States National Cancer Institute between 2004 and 2015. Survival curves for different variable values were generated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared using the log-rank test. Variables that achieved significance at P < 0.05 were entered into multivariable analyses via the Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression. Results A total of 2857 patients were selected, and 2313 cases were available for disease specific survival (DSS). The 5-year and 10-year overall survival (OS) were 66.7 and 46% for patients receiving elective neck dissection (END), respectively, and 56.4 and 37.2% for patients with neck observation (P < 0.0001). The 5-year and 10-year DSS were 73.6 and 64% for the END group, respectively, versus 64.5 and 54.5% for the neck observation group (P < 0.0001). More importantly, performing END was independently associated with favourable DSS and OS for patients with T2N0M0 OSCC [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.769, P = 0.0069 for DSS; HR = 0.829, P = 0.0031 for OS, neck observation group as reference] according to multivariate survival analysis. Conclusion END is recommended for T2N0M0 OSCC cases and it is associated with improved DSS and OS.

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Role of Depth of Invasion in Evaluation and Management of Early-stage Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma

International Journal of Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.5005/jp-journals-10001-1311 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 84-88

Author(s):

Bahbak Shariat-Madar ◽

Jeffrey C Liu

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Oral Cavity ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Early Stage ◽

Lymph Node Staging ◽

Depth Of Invasion ◽

Disease Free

ABSTRACT Aim To evaluate the existing body of literature and impact of depth of invasion (DOI) in early-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and its role in predicting occult cervical lymph node metastases. Background The prognosis for early-stage T1 to T2 disease OCSCC is relatively poor compared with other mucosal subsites within the head and neck. Primary tumor DOI can help prognosticate high-risk tumors for additional treatment. Review results There are unequivocal management implications in the literature demonstrating a role for elective neck dissection in early-stage OCSCC based on DOI. Following appropriate patient selection, there may be a role for sentinel lymph node biopsy in regional lymph node staging in early-stage OCSCC. Conclusion There are a multitude of studies demonstrating novel strategies to appropriately treat early-stage OCSCC, which are increasingly becoming standard of care. These strategies are altering the overall and disease-free survival of early-stage OCSCC. Despite advances, locoregional recurrence remains a challenge in this disease. Clinical significance Herein, the authors highlight a number of advances in the management of early-stage OCSCC as described in the literature, which are having an impact on disease-free and overall survival. How to cite this article Shariat-Madar B, Liu JC. Role of Depth of Invasion in Evaluation and Management of Early-stage Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Head Neck Surg 2017;8(2):84-88.

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