Novel Scoring Formula to Predict Survival in Patients of Primary Tongue Cancer Belonging to Tobacco Chewing Population

This study enrolled all patients between 20 and 85 years old with a history of tobacco chewing at least for the last 1 year before diagnosis. Patients should have primary tongue cancer amenable to surgical resection. For survival calculation, date o f diagnosis was taken as reference time. Using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, clinicopathological factors significantly associated with survival were ascertained. Then using logit regression, a scoring system predicting patient survival in years based on clinicopathological risk factors was formu lated and internal validation was done. A total 241 were enrolled and there were 69 cancer-related deaths. T stage, N stage, LVSI, and DOI were found to be significantly associated with cancer-related survival in tongue cancer patients. Another factor affecting survival was defaulting adjuvant radia tion therapy. Using these variables, a survival predicting score was developed. On internal validation and regression, the score was found 80% accurate with error limits ± 6 months. It is a concise comprehensive score applicable on Indian population with history of tobacco chewing. It will not only help clinicians to tell patients about their survival expectancy but also help to counsel them for adjuvant therapy. However, external validation and if required recalibration incorporating other factors need to be done for this score.
Source: Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research