Preoperative frailty prevalence and risk factors in oral cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

To determine the prevalence of preoperative frailty among oral cancer patients and identify its risk factors, a thorough review of observational studies published until 30 August 2025 was performed in various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, CBM, and Wanfang. The primary outcome was the prevalence of preoperative frailty or associated factors. Risk of bias and methodological quality were independently evaluated by two authors using both the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria. The meta-analysis included 18 articles. The results indicated that the prevalence of preoperative frailty in oral cancer patients was 42.2%. The risk factors included age, cognitive impairment, American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) score of ≥3, more than five medications, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score of ≥2, and a low skeletal muscle index (SMI). Body mass index (BMI) was identified as a protective factor. The findings can enable healthcare providers to implement effective interventions to prevent, reverse, or delay the progression of frailty.