• A retrospective study based on the data from patients who received treatment from Tata Memorial Hospital in 2016 was followed up till 2021.

• Researchers studied the overall five-year survival of oral cancer patients.

• A total of 1895 cases were recruited, of which >80% were men.

• The most common cancers were of the buccal mucosa and tongue, while lip and oral cavity cancer cases were the least common.

• Patients aged <40 years had a 69% five-year survival rate compared to those >60 years, who had a 60% survival rate.

• Those who were diagnosed with poorly differentiated carcinoma belonged to stage IV of the TNM stage, received only chemotherapy, and received partial treatment had higher hazards of dying. 

• The hazard of death was lower among literates.

• The study findings emphasized the need for awareness for developing treatment-seeking behavior and completing treatment courses.

• The study indirectly depicts the poor health-seeking behavior of women, noted by the higher proportion of men recruited in the study.

• However, the study cannot be generalized to the community as it was based only on hospital data and was subject to Bercksonian bias

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