Ablative surgery and free flap reconstruction for elderly patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer: oncologic and functional outcomes

This was the first study to specifically demonstrate the validity of ablative surgery and free flap reconstruction for elderly patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer in terms of oncologic and functional outcomes.The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of advanced age on oncologic and functional outcomes after ablative surgery and free flap reconstruction in patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer.We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of all patients who underwent ablative surgery and reconstruction with free flap for primary oral or oropharyngeal cancer at our institution between 2000 and 2009. The impact of advanced age (≥70 years) on oncologic and functional outcomes was assessed in univariate and multivariate analyses.Advanced patient age had a worse impact on overall (p = 0.006), specific (p = 0.02) and disease-free (p = 0.03) survival in univariate analysis, but had only a worse impact on overall survival (p = 0.03) in multivariate analysis. In the elderly patients, overall, specific and disease-free survival rates at 5 years were 43%, 51% and 49%, respectively. There was no significant difference in functional outcomes between elderly and young patients.