[Prognostic significance of type 2 diabetes in patients treated with surgery and irradiation for gingival cancer].

Type 2 diabetes may be regarded as a risk factor for cancers in different sites. The aim of this study was to compare the progression of primary gingival cancers in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients. This retrospective follow-up study involved 48 diabetic and 52 non-diabetic control patients with gingival squamous cell carcinoma in stage T2-3N0M0. Their treatment comprised surgical tumor extirpation, block resection of the mandible, functional cervical dissection and 60 Gy adjuvant irradiation. Progression data was recorded after a 2-year period of clinical follow-up. Surgical samples were assessed histopathologically from the aspect of tumor spread. At the end of a 2-year follow-up period, there were significantly worse clinical results in the diabetic group concerning the cervical lymph node metastases (P <0.05) and the rate of deaths (P< 0.001). Histologically, the degree of tumor invasion was significantly different in the diabetic group compared to the controls (P < 0.01). Type 2 diabetes can be regarded as a possible prognostic factor in cases of gingival carcinoma, forecasting an unfavorable course.