Time series of oral and oropharyngeal cancer and risk factors for death in Brazil

Purpose: Cancer of the mouth and oropharynx is associated with high morbidity and mortality despite new diagnostic and treatment technologies. The aim of this study was to describe a time series of oral and oropharyngeal cancer cases, as well as to evaluate risk factors for death and disease-specific survival (DSS). Methods This is a retrospective time series of cases diagnosed between 2017 and 2020 at a referral center in the state of Alagoas. Poisson regression with robust variance and disease-specific-survival (DSS) analysis were performed using “death” as outcome. Results The sample consisted of 115 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. The tongue was the most frequently affected site and 56 patients had died. Waiting time for treatment initiation longer than 60 days, presence of palpable lymph nodes, large tumor size, advanced tumor stage, and non-surgical treatment were associated with a higher risk of death. Conclusion This study provided insights into the behavior and characteristics of the population with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, as well as into the risk factors for death and factors affecting overall survival.