Prognostic significance of STNMP and velocity of tumor growth in oral cancer.

Regression analysis using actuarial life tables has been applied to the STNMP system for the grading and staging of oral cancer. Based on 170 patients, the five-year survival figures were 78% for Stage 1, 67% for Stage 2, 36% for Stage 3, and 20% for Stage 4. This represents a considerable improvement in prognostic differentiation over existing TNM system applied to the same cohort of patients. A further variable, velocity of tumor growth, was also assessed and shown to be of value in predicting the ultimate survival of the patients.