Recurrent oral cavity cancer: Patterns of failure after salvage multimodality therapy

BACKGROUND: We focused on a cohort of radiation naïve patients who had recurrent oral cavity cancer (recurrent OCC) to assess their outcomes with salvage multimodal therapy. METHODS: A retrospective single institutional study was performed of patients with recurrent OCC. Disease recurrence and survival outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were analyzed. All patients had salvage surgery and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 74% had chemotherapy. Five-year overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and locoregional control rates were 59%, 60%, and 74%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Outcomes of radiation naïve patients with recurrent OCC are fair, and seem similar with patients with locally advanced nonrecurrent OCC treated with multimodal therapy.