Gingival cancer: 11 year follow-up at Karolinska University Hospital (2000-2010)

Autor: Rusana Simonoska
Rok vydání: 2012
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Clinical Oncology. 30:5536-5536
ISSN: 1527-7755
0732-183X
Popis: 5536 Background: In Sweden, approximately 500-600 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year. These include cancer of the gingiva, retromolar trigonum, bucca, hard palate, tongue and floor of the mouth. Each year, around 15 cases of gingival cancer (GC) are diagnosed in the Stockholm region. The goal of this study was to study the onset of symptoms, treatment, prognosis, and sequelae of GC in order to optimize the treatment. Methods: The study consists of a retrospective review of medical records of all diagnosed cases of GC in Stockholm region between 2000-2010, identified through the ENT-clinic Karolinska Hospital patient database. Results: Our retrospective study comprised 156 patients diagnosed with GC. The average age was 72 years sharing equally between the sexes, 50% were smokers. 98% had a squamous cell carcinoma (scc). Presenting symptoms were often lump or ulceration in the gums, pain, bleeding or discomfort/misfit of dentures. Around 30% had premalignant lessons in the oral cavity before diagnosis. 3/4-th of all GC was localized in the lower jaw. 66% of the GC-patients presented as aT4 cancer. At presentation, 26% had a regional metastasis and of those 90% had their primary tumor in the lower jaw. Six cases had bilateral neck disease. 81% of the patients with regional metastasis had low to medium grade of scc differentiation of the primary tumor. 84% of all patients with regional metastasis had a T4 primary tumor. Neck dissection was performed in 38% (n=59). Of these 35 cases where staging neck, i.e. N0 at presentation and in 7 cases (20%) a positive neck disease was found. The risk for second primary was 15%. The overall 5-year survival was 24%. Conclusions: Advanced age and high number of T4 cancer at diagnosis partly explains the poor survival statistics. Almost 30% of the patients in our material have had premalignant lessons in the oral cavity before the cancer diagnosis and are at high risk for new tumors (second primary); therefore patients with GC should be followed up for at least 5 years, possibly longer in the presence of premalignant lessons. GC of the lower jaw is more likely to metastasize than GC of the upper jaw. Due to 20% occult metastasis occurrence in the staging neck cases, we recommend staging neck dissection for patients with GC.
Databáze: OpenAIRE