A New Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival and Assisting Postoperative Adjuvant Treatment Decision-Making in Stage II Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Database Analysis

Abstract

The survival benefit of postoperative adjuvant treatment (POAT) for stage II oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) remains controversial. This large SEER-based study aims to establish a prognostic nomogram to visualize the overall survival of these patients and to aid in POAT decision making. The cut-off points of age at diagnosis and examined lymph node number (ELN) were determined using the population-based data from the SEER database. Univariate and multivariate Cox hazards regression models were utilized to identify prognostic factors that were integrated into the establishment of the prognostic nomogram. Patients with stage II OTSCC were then stratified into 3 cohorts based on this nomogram. The survival benefit of POAT was evaluated in these cohorts. Age at diagnosis (with cutoff points of 50 and 75 years) and ELN (with cutoff points of 0 and 22) was significantly associated with the survival outcomes in patients with stage II OTSCC. After the multivariate analysis, 4 factors, including age at diagnosis, sex, ELN, and differentiation grade, were identified as independent prognostic factors. Additionally, a prognostic nomogram with these factors was constructed to predict overall survival and to stratify these patients. Only patients in the high-risk cohort could significantly benefit from postoperative adjuvant treatment. This prognostic nomogram could accurately predict the overall survival of stage II OTSCC patients after curative surgery. Notably, this model could also assist the decision-making of postoperative adjuvant treatment for patients with stage II OTSCC.