Risk factors affect the survival outcome of hard palatal and maxillary alveolus squamous cell carcinoma: 10-year review in a tertiary referral center

Abstract

Objective: Hard palatal cancer is relatively rare in the head and neck region. Treatment outcome, risk factors that lead to poor survival outcome, and treatment strategy are still controversial.

Study design: Retrospective study in a tertiary medical center.

Results: Surgery is a better treatment strategy than concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for achieving positive survival outcomes. We also found a higher surgical salvage rate in patients with hard palatal cancer who had local recurrence or neck relapse. Soft palate or infratemporal fossa involvement had poor outcomes. Ulcerative tumor features, tumor volumes larger than 10 mL, and local recurrent tumors that could not undergo salvage surgery also had poorer survival outcomes in our study.

Conclusion: Surgical management is still the first choice for patients with hard palate or alveolus squamous cell carcinomas even when patients had local or neck regional recurrence.