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Maxillary gingival squamous cell carcinoma (MGSCC) occurs rather infrequently, compared to tongue and mandibular gingival carcinomas, among the cancers of the oral cavity. Therefore, significant numbers of MGSCC cases have not been statistically analysed. The aim of this study is to clarify the prognostic factors for MGSCC. We performed the statistical analysis of 90 MGSCC cases primarily treated in our department from 1999 to 2014. The patients (male: 36, female: 54) were aged between 38 and 93 years, and the mean age was 68.7 years. The number of patients in each tumour stage according to the TNM classification was as follows: T1: 15 cases, T2: 32 cases, T3: 13 cases, and T4: 30 cases. Forty-two patients were treated only by surgery, 5 only by radiotherapy, 3 by preoperative radiotherapy and surgery, and 40 patients were treated by combination therapy with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgery. Neck dissections were performed in 40 cases including 29 cases (11 primary and 18 secondary cases) of histopathologically diagnosed lymph node metastases. Extranodal extension was found in 74.3% cases with metastatic lymph nodes. The 5-year overall survival rate was 81.9%. In univariate analysis, the site of occurrence, stage of tumour, lymph node metastasis, and treatment contributed to the 5-year survival rate. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the site of occurrence (posterior region) was an independent prognostic factor. Seventeen deaths occurred due to the primary disease, while three deaths were caused by other diseases. The posterior region cancers, according to the classification based on site of occurrence, were independent predictors of poor 5-year overall survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue rarely metastasizes to the lingual lymph nodes (LLNs), which are inconstant nodes and often situated outside the areas of basic tongue tumor surgery. The current study evaluated the clinicopathological features and prognostic impact of LLN metastasis (LLNM), compared to that of cervical lymph node metastasis, in patients with tongue SCC. A total of 608 patients underwent radical surgery for tongue SCC at our department between January 2001 and December 2016. During neck dissection, we scrutinized and resected lateral LLNs, when present. Of the 128 patients with lymph node metastasis, 107 had cervical lymph node metastasis and 21 had both cervical lymph node metastasis and LLNM. Univariate analysis demonstrated that LLNM was significantly associated with the adverse features of cervical lymph node metastasis. The 5-year disease-specific survival (5y-DSS) was significantly lower in patients with LLNMs than in those without LLNMs (49.0% vs. 88.4%, P < 0.01). Moreover, Cox proportional hazards model analyses revealed that cervical lymph node metastasis at level IV or V and LLNM were independent prognostic factors for 5y-DSS. LLNM has a strong negative impact on survival in patients with tongue SCC. An advanced status of cervical lymph node metastasis may predict LLNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have revealed several genes involved in the carcinogenesis of oral cancer. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. Previously, we established a database cataloging the transcriptional progression profile of oral carcinogenesis and identified several candidate genes with continuously increasing or decreasing expression, which specifically promote the transition of oral premalignant lesions to invasive carcinomas. In this study, using our microarray database, we attempted to determine significant genes that may contribute to metabolic alterations during oral carcinogenesis. After performing a literature survey, we focused on 15 candidate genes associated with glucose metabolism changes, particularly the tri-carboxylic acid cycle, and investigated the mRNA-expression status of these genes with our database. Only the solute carrier family 2 member 1 gene (also known as GLUT1), showed significantly increased mRNA expression during oral tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that GLUT1 protein expression significantly increased during oral carcinogenesis. In addition, tumors with high expression of this protein significantly correlated with nodal status (P=0.002). Kaplan-Meier survival curves clearly demonstrated the adverse impact of high GLUT1 protein expression on disease-free survival (P=0.004). GLUT1 mRNA and protein expression increased in the order of normal mucosal tissues, epithelial dysplastic lesions and invasive carcinomas. Therefore, metabolic alterations, especially in glucose metabolism, occurred at the very early stage of development of oral malignancies. In addition, GLUT1 played a significant role in oral cancer, acquiring a malignant phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastasis is extremely rare, and prognosis is significantly poor in oral cancer. We retrospectively examined the management of RPLN metastases in oral cancer.Materials and Methods: A total of 1247 patients with oral cancer were treated at our department from January 2002 and December 2016. Among these patients, 374 (30%) had histologically positive lymph node metastases. Of these, 15 patients (1.2%) were diagnosed with RPLN metastases. We evaluated the diagnostic period, size, recurrence pattern, laterality, treatment, and therapeutic outcomes. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine overall survival (OS) among the RPLN metastasis group, cervical lymph node (CLN) metastases group, and treatment methods group for RPLN metastases.Results: One patient had RPLN involvement at the initial treatment, and RPLN involvement in other patients was found subsequently. The mean duration in confirming RPLN metastases was 228 days (range, 50-867 days). Surgical therapy was performed in 5 patients, chemoradiotherapy in 7 patients, and best supported care (BSC) in 3 patients. The cumulative 5-year OS rate for the RPLN metastasis group (n = 15) was 38.1%, compared with the rate of 71.3% for the CLN group (n = 359). Regarding the therapeutic approach for RPLN metastases, OS rates were 80.0% (n = 5) in the surgical therapy group, 28.6% (n = 7) in the chemoradiotherapy group, and 0% (n = 3) in the BSC group.Conclusion: Early detection and surgical treatment of RPLN metastases are associated with increased survival rate in oral cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), surgical treatment is often administered in combination with radiotherapy-based postoperative adjuvant therapy. The aim of the present study was to determine the most appropriate dose by comparing patient outcomes between doses of 50- and 66-Gy for postoperative cervical irradiation.Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent postoperative cervical irradiation following neck dissection for OSCC with lymph nodes metastases, and their primary lesions were controlled. They were divided into the 50- and 66-Gy irradiation groups and were examined for sex, age, primary lesion site, tumor/node/metastasis stage, initial treatment for primary cancer, neck dissection procedure, number of metastatic lymph nodes, presence or absence of extranodal extension (ENE), concomitant anticancer agents, and therapeutic outcomes.Results: A total of 78 patients met the clinical criteria for study enrollment. The 50- and 66-Gy postoperative cervical irradiation groups included 40 and 38 patients, with neck dissection performed at 45 and 38 sites, respectively. Cervical control rate was 97.5% and 97.3% in the 50- and 66-Gy irradiation groups (p = 0.74). The cumulative disease-specific 5-year survival rate was 85.6% and 88.3%, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.64).Conclusion: The findings of our study indicate that the irradiation dose of 50 Gy is appropriate for postoperative cervical irradiation in patients with OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]