Surgical Resection is Justifiable for Oral T4b Squamous Cell Cancers With Masticator Space Invasion

• Published in: The Laryngoscope Vol. 131; no. 2; p. E466
• Main Authors: Baddour, H Michael, Ochsner, Matthew C, Patel, Mihir R, Switchenko, Jeffrey M, Beitler, Jonathan J, Magliocca, Kelly, Baugnon, Kristen L, Solares, Clementino A, Steuer, Conor E, El-Deiry, Mark W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; Female; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Masticatory Muscles - pathology; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms - mortality; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Mouth Neoplasms - surgery; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Staging; Retrospective Studies; Survival Analysis; T4b tumor; masticator space; oral cancer; Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.28725

To examine survival endpoints in patients with tumor (T)4b oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) with pathologically proven masticator space invasion treated with primary surgery followed by adjuvant therapy. Retrospective review at an academic cancer center. Twenty-five patients with T4b OCSCC with pathologic masticator space invasion were treated with primary surgery from May 2012 to December 2016. Only patients with ≥ 2 years follow-up from date of surgery were included. Sixteen patients received adjuvant chemoradiation. Median follow-up time was 39 months from date of surgery. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival at 24 months were 44.0%, 63.2%, and 52.6%, respectively. On univariate analyses, adjuvant chemoradiation was associated with improved OS. Advanced age and prolonged length of hospital stay was associated with worse OS. For pT4b OCSCCA involving the masticator space, primary surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemoradiation demonstrates 24-month DSS of > 50% and OS of 44%. 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E466-E472, 2021.