AIMS: To make a clinical evaluation of patients with squamous carcinoma of the oral cavity. METHODS: The clinical condition of 72 patients with squamous carcinoma of the mouth, hospitalized at the Institute of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy, between 1992 and 1996, were examined. The patients were evaluated system by system, staged by TNM-UICC and classified by ASA and by the Karnofsky and Burchenal and the Zubrod et al. Performance status methods. RESULTS: Evaluation by the two methods produced different results. Of the patients examined, 34.5% showed more than one systemic disorder. 51.4% were in ASA classes 3-4. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a disease with poor prognosis associated with advanced neoplastic stage (stages III-IV; 69.4% of the total) precluded radical surgery in 32% of patients, who were treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
AIMS: To make a clinical evaluation of patients with squamous carcinoma of the oral cavity. METHODS: The clinical condition of 72 patients with squamous carcinoma of the mouth, hospitalized at the Institute of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy, between 1992 and 1996, were examined. The patients were evaluated system by system, staged by TNM-UICC and classified by ASA and by the Karnofsky and Burchenal and the Zubrod et al. Performance status methods. RESULTS: Evaluation by the two methods produced different results. Of the patients examined, 34.5% showed more than one systemic disorder. 51.4% were in ASA classes 3-4. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a disease with poor prognosis associated with advanced neoplastic stage (stages III-IV; 69.4% of the total) precluded radical surgery in 32% of patients, who were treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.