Prognostic factors for oral cancer. Literature review
Abstract
Introduction: in Cuba cancer is the leading cause of death since 2012; oral cancer is among the ten most common types, with increasing incidence and mortality. Several prognostic factors can influence the survival of patients to the disease, hence the importance of specialists stay updated about it.
Objective: to describe the main prognostic factors in the development of oral cancer and recent studies showing that identification, coupled with timely action on them, may favor the survival of patients.
Method: a literature review was carried out on the subject in different domestic and foreign bases of data available on the Internet, covering the last five years, in Spanish and English, and with the help of descriptors such as keywords. A review on the subject was elaborated from the selected items.
Development: prognosis is the prediction of the likely consequences of a disease, based on individual patient conditions and in the usual course of the disease (previously seen in similar situations). The prognosis of patients with oral cancer depends on the cancer locoregional control, covering various prognostic factors related to the patient and the tumor.
Conclusions: both factors related to the patient (age, sex, toxic habits) as related to tumor (nodal status, histological type, size, etc.) allow the specialist to choose the best treatment alternatives and the ideal sequence of the same and predict the possible evolution of the disease.