Association between multidisciplinary team care approach and survival rates in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multidisciplinary team care (MDTC) is associated with outcomes in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: We retrospectively examined 1616 patients with oral cavity SCC who underwent radical surgery between 1996 and 2011. The study participants were classified into 2 subgroups according to the use of MDTC. RESULTS: Five-year outcomes were significantly better in the MDTC group than in the no-MDTC group (neck control, 88% vs 84%, p = .0397; disease-specific survival [DSS], 83% vs 78%, p = .0114; and overall survival [OS], 70% vs 64%, p = .0002, respectively). Among patients who were scheduled to undergo adjuvant therapy, the number who completed their adjuvant treatment was significantly higher in the MDTC group than in the no-MDTC group (90% vs 60% to 70%, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The association of MDTC with improved outcomes may be potentially explained by a better therapeutic alliance between the patient and the tumor board, and/or a greater thoroughness in clinical management.