What do systematic reviews say?

Surgery plus radiotherapy vs Chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy)

• Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  oral cavity
  Locoregional recurrence: reported difference between groups not statistically significant (P=0.355), but no useable data; 32 participants (1 RCT, Iyer 2015).
  1 study · 32 participants
  Very low

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy led to lower locoregional control, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (platinum +… compared with radiotherapy alone (non-resectable tumours); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.75 [0.61, 0.93]
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy led to lower disease-free survival, concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs radiotherapy… compared with radiotherapy alone (non-resectable tumours); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes
  HR 0.74 [0.67, 0.80]
  13 studies
  GRADE not reported

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy probably leads to lower overall survival, concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs radiotherapy alone… compared with radiotherapy alone (non-resectable tumours) (moderate certainty).

• Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes
  HR 0.74 [0.67, 0.83]
  24 studies · 2852 participants
  Moderate