Less Is More? The Association between Survival and Follow-Up Protocol after Treatment in Oral Cavity Cancer Patients from a Betel Quid-Prevalent Region

Shih-An Liu, Chen-Chi Wang, Rong-San Jiang and Yu-Chi Tung
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Shih-An Liu: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
Chen-Chi Wang: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
Rong-San Jiang: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
Yu-Chi Tung: Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10055, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: The optimal follow-up protocol after treatment of oral cavity cancer patients is still debatable. We aimed to investigate the impact of frequency of different imaging studies and follow-up visits on the survival of oral cavity cancer patients. The current study retrospectively reviewed oral cavity cancer patients who underwent surgical intervention in our hospital. Basic demographic data, tumor-related features, treatment modalities, imaging studies, and clinic visits were recorded. Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the influence of variables on the survival of oral cavity cancer patients. In total, 741 patients with newly diagnosed oral cavity cancer were included in the final analysis. Overall, the frequency of imaging studies was not associated with survival in the multivariate analysis, except PET scan (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.57–7.86). However, in late-stage and elder patients, frequent head and neck CT/MRI scan was associated with a better prognosis (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36–0.84; HR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.30–0.91, respectively). In conclusion, precision medicine is a global trend nowadays. Different subgroups may need different follow-up protocols. Further prospective study is warranted to clarify the relationship between frequency of image studies and survival of oral cavity cancer patients.

Keywords: oral cavity cancer; post-treatment surveillance; choosing wisely (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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