Clinical investigation of oral cancer in adolescent and young adult generation

Abstract

AbstractPurposeTo determine the clinical and therapeutic characteristics in adolescent and young adult (AYA) generation with oral cancer.MethodsWe retrospectively studied AYA patients with oral cancer, aged 16‐40 years who visited our department between 1 April 1997 and 31 December 2017, focusing on clinical characteristics including sex, age distribution, tumor site, pathological classification, stage, treatment, treatment outcome, and social rehabilitation.ResultsForty‐two patients of AYA generation (19 males and 23 females), accounting for five. Seven percent of all oral cancer patients (740), were included. Most were aged 35‐39 (median, 30.9) years. The most frequent site of tumor occurrence was the tongue (n = 29) and the most common histological type was squamous cell carcinoma (n = 30). Most patients had T2N0 cancer based on the TNM classification, and early stage II. Thirty‐nine patients underwent radical treatment, comprising 14 cases of surgery, six of chemo‐radiation therapy, four of surgery with chemotherapy, and two of surgery with radiation therapy. Conversely, nine patients underwent radical radiation therapy, comprising five cases of internal radiation therapy and four of chemo‐radiation therapy. The 5‐year overall survival rate in AYA patients with oral cancer (79.67%) was statistically superior to that in the older‐age group (68.48%) (P = .034). Seven deaths were reported because of distant metastasis in cancer types with relatively poor prognosis.ConclusionIn this clinical investigation, treatment outcomes of AYA patients were mostly favorable. Most AYA patients with oral cancer recovered fully after radical treatment and achieved social reintegration.