Early-Stage Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Adolescents and Young Adults Compared with Older Patients Exhibits Distinct Clinicopathological Features.
Lymph node metastasis occurred in nearly one-third of young oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Early-Stage Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Adolescents and Young Adults Compared with Older Patients Exhibits Distinct Clinicopathological Features.
This study aimed to compare the clinicopathological features of stage I-II oral squamous cell carcinoma (oral squamous cell carcinoma) between adolescents and young adults (adolescents and young adults) and older patients, and to identify prognostic factors in adolescents and young adults oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Forty-eight adolescents and young adults patients aged 15-39 years and 69 older patients aged ≥ 65 years with surgically treated stage I-II oral squamous cell carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed.
Adolescents and young adults patients showed significantly better overall and disease-free survival than older patients.
Within the adolescents and young adults group, depth of invasion (DOI) > 5 mm was associated with distant metastasis and poorer overall and disease-free survival.
Univariable analysis suggested that clinical stage II, tumor thickness > 5 mm, DOI > 5 mm, and tumor budding scores 1-2 were associated with postoperative lymph node metastasis.
Molecular status, including p53, p16/CDKN2A, and MTAP, did not provide robust prognostic stratification.
Early-stage adolescents and young adults oral squamous cell carcinoma exhibits distinct clinicopathological features.
DOI was the strongest prognostic indicator, whereas clinical stage, tumor thickness, and tumor budding may provide additional prognostic information regarding the risk of late nodal metastasis.