Prognosis for gingival carcinomas with a delayed diagnosis after dental extraction.

PURPOSE: In gingival squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC), the association between survival and previous dental extraction (DE) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognosis for patients in whom GSCC was detected after DE was performed.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

DE for GSCC tumor symptoms was performed in 19 patients before diagnosis (DE group) and not in 58 patients (non-DE group). The clinical features, characteristics, and prognosis were evaluated statistically between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

The interval from DE to the first hospital visit was 1.1 to 97 weeks (median, 7.3 weeks). There was no significant difference in tumor status, node status, local recurrence, pathologically positive lymph nodes, or distant metastasis between the DE and non-DE groups. Bone invasion was observed radiographically in 6 patients with mandibular GSCC in the DE group (100%) and 13 in the non-DE group (68.4%). There was a significant difference in bone invasion between the DE and non-DE groups (P < .01). Segmental mandibulectomy was performed in 11 patients (84.6%) in the DE group and 21 patients (61.8%) in the non-DE group. Extent of resection tended to be larger for the DE group. The 5-year overall survival rate was 84.6% for the DE group and 65.8% for patients with mandibular GSCC in the non-DE group. For maxillary GSCC, the survival rates differed significantly between groups (33.3% in DE group and 73.7% in non-DE group).

CONCLUSIONS

For mandibular GSCC, the resection field was appropriate for the extent of bone invasion after DE and the prognosis was similar to that in the non-DE group. For maxillary GSCC, a broad surgical field is suggested because of the potential for rapid spread in cancellous bony trabeculae.