Non-smoking and Non-drinking Oral Cancer Patients Are at Higher Risk of Second Primary Tumours.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore differences in demographics, tumour characteristics and outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients with a history of non-smoking, non-drinking (NSND) versus smoking and/or drinking (SD).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Newly diagnosed OSCC patients undergoing curative surgical treatment were prospectively included in OncoLifeS, a data biobank. Cox regression analysis was performed yielding hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs).

RESULTS

185 patients were included, and 32.4% of patients were NSND; this group represented an older (69 vs. 64.4 years, p < 0.01) and more female-dominated (66.7% vs. 44.5%, p = 0.02) population. NSND patients had more tongue tumours (68.3% vs. 46.4%, p < 0.01) and few floor-of-mouth tumours (1.7% vs. 20.0%, p < 0.01). Locoregional recurrence, overall survival and disease-specific survival risk were similar between the NSND and SD patients. NSND patients had a higher second primary tumour risk compared to SD patients in the multivariable analysis (adjusted HR 3.92, 1.23-12.48, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

NSND patients with OSCC have a distinct clinicopathological profile compared to SD patients, with a higher risk of second primary tumours after treatment. These differences in risk profiles should be considered in future OSCC management strategies.