The Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Early-Stage Oral Cavity Cancer With Minor Adverse Features; A Single Institute Experience.

BACKGROUND: The role of post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) in early-stage (T1-T2N0M0) oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) with minor adverse features (MAF) including perineural invasion (PNI) and poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC) is not well described. We aimed to study the role of PORT among these patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients treated for early-stage OTSCC between 2000 and 2022 in a tertiary-care referral center while comparing patients treated by surgery and PORT with patients treated by surgery alone. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-four patients were included and 36 (23.4%) received PORT. The PORT subgroup had a significantly higher rate of MAF. Survival rates were similar between the two sub-groups. PORT demonstrated a trend toward improved overall survival (odds ratio = 0.406, p = 0.07). Patients with PNI or PDC treated with PORT experienced improved survival rates. CONCLUSION: PORT has an important role when treating early-stage OTSCC with MAF. It should be considered especially among patients with PNI or PDC.

VIVO Weill Cornell Medical College