Survival analysis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients linked to histopathology, disease stage, tumor stage, risk factors, and received therapy

Background: Survival of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients depends on the risk and environmental factors, tumor biology, achievements in diagnostics and treatment approaches. Aim: To perform a survival analysis of the patients with OSCC treated over a 10-year period in a single hospital in Latvia linking these data to histopathological findings, risk factors and received therapy. Materials and Methods: The main outcome measures were overall and disease-specific survival (OS and DS) along with histopathology analysis. Results: Kaplan - Meier survival analysis showed better survival for females, younger patients lacking bad habits, operated and received radiotherapy, with lower T grade and disease stage. Cox regression showed diminished early death risk in patients with lower T grade, no regional metastases (N0) and bad habits, operated and received radiotherapy. A vast majority of tumors were localized in palatine tonsils and the base of the tongue. The localization did not correlate with mean survival time/survival. Lower OS (p = 0.03) and DS (p = 0.026) were estimated for patients with pharyngeal wall and tonsillar involvement compared to tumors localized in the soft palate. A histological variant of tumor seemed irrelevant estimating OS and DS, whereas therapeutic modalities significantly affected survival. Conclusions: OSCC patients with lower T grade, N0 status, lacking bad habits, and surgically treated had better survival.