RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate overall survival in incident cases of oral cancer notified by the Goiânia population-based cancer registry between 1988 and 2002.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 313 incident cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were identified. The variables studied were: age, gender and clinical staging. Data regarding vital status were obtained from the medical charts of the hospital and clinics and from the Goiânia Mortality Data System. RESULTS: Of the 313 incident cases of oral cancer notified between 1988 and 2002 that were identified in this study, 245 (72.7%) occurred in males and 92 (27.3%) in females. The five year overall survival rate for oral cancer in Goiânia was 35.3% with a mean survival time of 30 months (95%CI, 27-32). There was no statistically significant difference in survival time between males and females (35.8% versus 33.9%; p = 0.750). In patients with tumors < 4 cm, survival rate was 77%, whereas in patients with tumors > 4 cm, survival rate was 39% (µ = 35 months, 95%CI, 31-38, p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: In patients with oral cancer, survival is associated with gender, age at diagnosis and treatment of these tumors. The low survival rates found indicate that the majority of tumors were at an advanced stage. Training healthcare professionals to clinically examine the oral cavity, to identify abnormalities in oral mucosa and to duly refer patients to a specialized service for early diagnosis would lead to an improvement in survival