A series of 118 cases with locally-advanced (AJCC stage T3 or T4) oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma receiving radical surgery and/or radiotherapy between July 1986 to April 1992 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary sites included buccal mucosa, oral tongue, hard palate, lip, gingiva, and mouth floor. According to the treatment methods, we classified the patients in three groups. The first group of patients were treated by radical surgery alone (S, 49 cases), the second group of patients were treated by radiotherapy alone (RT, 26 cases), and the third group of patients were treated by surgery and post-operative radiotherapy (S+RT, 43 cases). The 2-year actuarial survival rates were 38.8%, 26.9 %, and 44.3%, respectively. There was significant difference between S and RT or between S+RT and RT, but it might be due to the case selection effect of surgery. Local regional recurrence rates were 38.7%, 28.6%, 26.7% (P>0.05) for S, RT, and S+RT, respectively. In the S+RT group, there was no obvious relationship between survival and total dose (<6000cGy vs. 6000cGy). More patients in the combined modality therapy group suffered from treatment related complications. In this group, they received radical surgery and higher dose of post-operative radiotherapy, and their life quality was relatively poor.
A series of 118 cases with locally-advanced (AJCC stage T3 or T4) oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma receiving radical surgery and/or radiotherapy between July 1986 to April 1992 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary sites included buccal mucosa, oral tongue, hard palate, lip, gingiva, and mouth floor. According to the treatment methods, we classified the patients in three groups. The first group of patients were treated by radical surgery alone (S, 49 cases), the second group of patients were treated by radiotherapy alone (RT, 26 cases), and the third group of patients were treated by surgery and post-operative radiotherapy (S+RT, 43 cases). The 2-year actuarial survival rates were 38.8%, 26.9 %, and 44.3%, respectively. There was significant difference between S and RT or between S+RT and RT, but it might be due to the case selection effect of surgery. Local regional recurrence rates were 38.7%, 28.6%, 26.7% (P>0.05) for S, RT, and S+RT, respectively. In the S+RT group, there was no obvious relationship between survival and total dose (<6000cGy vs. 6000cGy). More patients in the combined modality therapy group suffered from treatment related complications. In this group, they received radical surgery and higher dose of post-operative radiotherapy, and their life quality was relatively poor.