Does autofluorescence help detect recurrent squamous cell carcinoma? A prospective clinical study

Abstract

In oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 20% of patients experience local recurrences. In this study, the addition of autofluorescence to a standard incandescent light examination was evaluated to enhance detection rates of recurrences in OSCC. Patients with OSCC who underwent follow-up examinations were included in this prospective cohort study. All patients (with or without recurrences) were examined clinically and with autofluorescence (using VELscope; Mectron, Cologne, Germany) and biopsy was used to examine suspect lesions for recurrences. Variables likely to influence results were analyzed. An analysis of dependencies, a general log-linear analysis, and a binary regression analysis were performed using SPSS version 26 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The study included 195 patients and in 39 cases a biopsy was performed. Results showed significantly more recurrences with the addition of autofluorescence to the usual clinical examination (P ≥ .5). Sensitivity was 95.2% and specificity was 100%. This study showed the advantages of adding autofluorescence to routine clinical assessments in OSCC follow-up examinations. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS-ID: DRKS00004836.