The incidence and risk factors for early death among patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas

Background The objective of this study is to evaluate the early mortality rate and associated factors for early death in oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (OTSCC) patients. Methods Patients with OTSCC were extracted from the SEER database between 2004 and 2014. The early death (survival time <= 3 months) rate was calculated, and associated risk factors were evaluated by the logistic regression models. Results A total of 7756 patients were analysed and 282 (3.6%) patients died within 3 months after cancer diagnosis, among whom 214 (2.8%) patients died from cancer-specific cause. In univariate analyses, advanced age, divorced/single/widowed (DSW), higher histological grades, black, advanced T stage, advanced N stage, distant metastasis and no surgery were significantly associated with all-causes and cancer-specific early death. Multivariate analyses showed that advanced age, DSW, advanced T stage, advanced N stage, distant metastasis, and no surgery were significantly associated with all-cause and cancer-specific early death. Conclusion Our results showed that a total of 3.6% patients with OTSCC suffered early death. Predictors of early death are primarily related to age older than 60 years, advanced T stage, advanced N stage, distant metastasis and no surgery but also include unmarried status, but better prognostic and predictive tools in larger sample to select early death patients are needed.