INITIAL CLINICAL STAGE OF ORAL CANCER AS A PREDICTOR OF TREATMENT OUTCOME AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Keywords:
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), TNM staging, late-stage diagnosis, risk factors, survival rates, early detection, tobacco use, HPV and oral cancer, Quality of Life (QOL), oral cancer screening.Abstract
Oral cancer is a significant public health concern in Pakistan, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages due to delayed detection, limited screening, and high exposure to risk factors like tobacco and HPV. This retrospective cohort study of 115 patients treated at KRL Hospital, Islamabad (Oct 2023–Dec 2024), evaluated clinical staging, risk factors, treatment outcomes, survival, and post-treatment quality of life (QoL). Results showed that 81% were diagnosed at late stages (III & IV), with tobacco use, HPV infection, lack of screening (95%), and rural residency (90%) strongly linked to advanced disease. Early-stage diagnosis correlated with better treatment success and QoL. The study underscores the urgent need to enhance early detection via screening programs, awareness campaigns, and AI-based diagnostics to improve outcomes in resource-limited settings like Pakistan
