The aim of this study was to investigate whether the recurrence interval influenced survival rate of patients with relapse of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). From 1992 to 2006, a total of 773 patients with OSCC treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery of the Ruhr-University Bochum were reviewed. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, receiver operating characteristic, the Youden-Index and analysis using the log-rank test and Cox-regression. The overall recurrence rate was 23.9%. Local recurrence was more common (64.9%) than locoregional recurrence (25.1%). Patients with relapse more than 18 months after completion of their primary treatment had significantly improved survival rates compared with those who relapsed within 18 months of initial treatment (20.5% vs 42.3%). A significant difference was noted in the survival rate between patients with local and locoregional recurrence (37.5% vs 21.5%). Overall survival rate after salvage was 31.9%. The interval from initial treatment to recurrence is an independent prognostic factor for OSCC patients. Patients with a recurrence interval of 18 months had a statistically significant higher probability of death than those with a recurrence interval >18 months. This information can help inform salvage treatment strategies and provide a classification of early and late recurrences.     «

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the recurrence interval influenced survival rate of patients with relapse of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). From 1992 to 2006, a total of 773 patients with OSCC treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery of the Ruhr-University Bochum were reviewed. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, receiver operating characteristic, the Youden-Index and analysis using the log-rank t...     »