Less is more? The association between survival and follow‐up protocol after treatment in oral cavity cancer patients from a betel quid‐prevalent region
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal Volume
18
Journal Issue
23
Date Issued
2021-12-01
Author(s)
Abstract
The optimal follow‐up protocol after treatment of oral cavity cancer patients is still debatable. We aimed to investigate the impact of frequency of different imaging studies and follow‐up visits on the survival of oral cavity cancer patients. The current study retrospectively reviewed oral cavity cancer patients who underwent surgical intervention in our hospital. Basic demographic data, tumor‐related features, treatment modalities, imaging studies, and clinic visits were recorded. Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the influence of variables on the survival of oral cavity cancer patients. In total, 741 patients with newly diagnosed oral cavity cancer were included in the final analysis. Overall, the frequency of imaging studies was not associated with survival in the multivariate analysis, except PET scan (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.57–7.86). However, in late‐stage and elder patients, frequent head and neck CT/MRI scan was associated with a better prognosis (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36–0.84; HR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.30–0.91, respectively). In conclusion, precision medicine is a global trend nowadays. Different subgroups may need different follow‐up protocols. Further prospective study is warranted to clarify the relationship between frequency of image studies and survival of oral cavity cancer patients.
Subjects
Choosing wisely | Oral cavity cancer | Post‐treatment surveillance
Choosing wisely; Oral cavity cancer; Post?treatment surveillance
SDGs
Other Subjects
cancer; multivariate analysis; oral health; survival; adult; age; antineoplastic protocol; Article; betel quid; cancer patient; cancer prognosis; cancer staging; cancer surgery; cancer survival; clinical feature; controlled study; demography; female; follow up; human; imaging; major clinical study; male; medical record review; middle aged; mouth cancer; neck; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; patient monitoring; personalized medicine; positron emission tomography; prevalence; retrospective study; aged; Areca; follow up; mouth; neoplasm; prospective study; Aged; Areca; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Mouth; Neoplasms; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies
Publisher
MDPI
Type
journal article