RESUMO
Perineural invasion has been widely regarded as a poor prognostic factor in cancer of the oral cavity, but adjuvant treatment based only on this is still debatable. We have made an effort to address the question in a retrospective analysis of data from 2009-15 of patients with early node-negative cancers of the oral cavity. Patients with perineural invasion were divided into those who were treated with radiotherapy and those who were not. The records of a total of 169 patients were analysed, and 118 were given adjuvant radiotherapy and 51 were not. The median (range) duration of follow up was 45 (26-86) months. Of 169 patients, 47 (28%) developed recurrence, 28 in the treated, and 19 in the untreated, group. There was a significant disease-free survival benefit for adjuvant treatment (p = 0.047) but no overall survival benefit (p = 0.54). We conclude that adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered for patients with perineural invasion, even in early cancers of the oral cavity.
