Salvage radiotherapy with or without surgical intervention for recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas in radiation-naïve patients: a retrospective single-centre study.
- 1The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
- 2Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
- 3Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
Despite advancements in comprehensive treatment strategies, recurrent oral cavity cancer remains a major clinical challenge. Although salvage surgery has been the cornerstone for managing locoregional recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC), the role of salvage radiotherapy in radiation-naïve patients is not well established. This retrospective single-centre study included 56 radiation-naïve patients with recurrent OCSCC who were treated between May 2007 and September 2023. All patients underwent either definitive radiotherapy without surgery (RT) or adjuvant radiotherapy following surgery (S + RT). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the prognostic factors. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for the entire cohort were 58.9% and 37.7%, respectively, with median OS and PFS of 48.7 and 8.3 months. Patients who underwent S + RT (n = 40) demonstrated favourable trends in OS (62.8% vs. 48.9%, p = 0.704) and PFS (43.5% vs. 23.4%, p = 0.104) compared with those treated with RT alone (n = 16), although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis identified poor performance status as an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.638, p = 0.008] and PFS (HR = 2.780; p = 0.008). Early recurrence within 6 months also significantly predicted worse PFS (HR = 2.554, p = 0.013). Salvage radiotherapy with or without surgical intervention is a feasible treatment option for radiation-naïve patients with recurrent OCSCC. While no statistically significant differences were observed between treatment approaches, patient-related factors such as performance status and recurrence interval were significantly associated with outcomes and may be important for treatment selection.
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BibTeX
@article{katano2026salvage,
title = {{Salvage radiotherapy with or without surgical intervention for recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas in radiation-naïve patients: a retrospective single-centre study.}},
author = {Atsuto Katano and Akiko Oka and Masanari Minamitani and Yusuke Ito and Koji Yamamura and Kenya Kobayashi and Yuki Saito and Hideomi Yamashita},
journal = {Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.5603/rpor.113325},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997872},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Salvage radiotherapy with or without surgical intervention for recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas in radiation-naïve patients: a retrospective single-centre study.
AU - Atsuto Katano
AU - Akiko Oka
AU - Masanari Minamitani
AU - Yusuke Ito
AU - Koji Yamamura
AU - Kenya Kobayashi
AU - Yuki Saito
AU - Hideomi Yamashita
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology
DO - 10.5603/rpor.113325
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997872
AB - Despite advancements in comprehensive treatment strategies, recurrent oral cavity cancer remains a major clinical challenge. Although salvage surgery has been the cornerstone for managing locoregional recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC), the role of salvage radiotherapy in radiation-naïve patients is not well established. This retrospective single-centre study included 56 radiation-naïve patients with recurrent OCSCC who were treated between May 2007 and September 2023. All patients underwent either definitive radiotherapy without surgery (RT) or adjuvant radiotherapy following surgery (S + RT). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the prognostic factors. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for the entire cohort were 58.9% and 37.7%, respectively, with median OS and PFS of 48.7 and 8.3 months. Patients who underwent S + RT (n = 40) demonstrated favourable trends in OS (62.8% vs. 48.9%, p = 0.704) and PFS (43.5% vs. 23.4%, p = 0.104) compared with those treated with RT alone (n = 16), although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis identified poor performance status as an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.638, p = 0.008] and PFS (HR = 2.780; p = 0.008). Early recurrence within 6 months also significantly predicted worse PFS (HR = 2.554, p = 0.013). Salvage radiotherapy with or without surgical intervention is a feasible treatment option for radiation-naïve patients with recurrent OCSCC. While no statistically significant differences were observed between treatment approaches, patient-related factors such as performance status and recurrence interval were significantly associated with outcomes and may be important for treatment selection.
SN - 1507-1367
SN - 2083-4640
ER -