Authors: Thomas Mücke David A Mitchell Lucas M Ritschl Andrea Tannapfel KlausDietrich Wolff Marco R Kesting Denys J Loeffelbein Anastasios Kanatas
Publish Date: 2014/11/26
Volume: 141, Issue: 6, Pages: 1007-1011
Abstract
The TNM classification is used to assess cancers of the oral cavity and advancements in imaging techniques have revealed clear variations in tumor volume at presentation This study therefore aimed to clarify whether preoperative imaging with exact measurements of the tumor could affect postsurgery survival after controlling for demographic clinical and tumor characteristicsWe included 437 patients with histologically confirmed stage T1–4 N1–3 M0 invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue Participants were assessed for recurrence every 3 months for the first 2 years every 6 months for another 2 years and annually thereafter routine computed tomography was performed annually Associations were determined using the Kaplan–Meier estimator univariate logrank test and Cox proportional hazards regression modelsThe mean survival of all patients was 681 ± 482 months The 2 and 5year overall survival rates were 822 and 667 respectively The mean primary tumor volume was 714 cm3 with a range of 13–2421 cm3 The ROC curve and Youden Index analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff volume was between ≤59 and ≤183 cm3 for three different volume groups p 00001 Large tumor volume was associated with a significantly poorer overall survival p 00001Tumor volume was significantly associated with the overall survival of patients This has both prognostic and reconstructive implications that will affect healthrelated quality of life In addition this will inform surgical planning and the allocation of resources
Keywords: