Elective Revision Surgery in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Analysis at an Oncology Centre in Porto, Portugal.

Introduction Elective revision surgery in head and neck cancer is crucial for refining and optimizing outcomes, ensuring complete tumor removal, and enhancing both functional and aesthetic aspects, ultimately improving the overall quality of life for patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the overall survival (OS) of head and neck cancer patients who underwent elective revision surgery with or without adjuvant treatment between 2019 and 2022, reflecting on the practice between those years in IPO-Porto, Porto, Portugal. Methods This study included 58 patients who underwent 116 major neck surgeries. Multidisciplinary head and neck follow-up records were obtained for every patient. Overall survival and disease-specific survival (DSS) curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and statistical significance was determined by the Log-Rank test. We did a retrospective study with an anterograde direction, evaluating the treatments that were previously done by the patients. Results The sample comprised 51 males (87.9%) and seven females (12.1%), with a mean age of 59.02±11.014 years. Head and neck pathology was mostly in the larynx (36.2%). The type of the first surgery was mainly directed to the primary tumor in 62.1% (n=36). In the other 37.9% (n=22), surgery was directed to the primary tumor in association with neck dissection. The type of the second surgery was mainly revision surgery. We found that T4 tumors (HR (hazard ratio) = 10.219, p = 0.006) and hypopharynx tumors (HR = 5.306, p =0.035) were significantly associated with inferior OS. Conclusion In our sample, we found that a T4 and a tumor located in the hypopharynx were significantly associated with inferior OS in elective head and neck oncologic revision surgery. Disease-free survival in patients undergoing revision surgery in our sample is generally poor. In our sample, there was a statistically significant difference in overall survival between the group who underwent surgery for microscopic evidence of persistent tumor (R1) versus clinical and imagiological tumoral persistency. In our sample, the time between the first and second surgeries wasn't linked with an inferior OS. Further studies with larger populations and prospective design, with longer follow-ups can be the road to a better understanding of this issue.