Table 3. Univariate and multivariate analyses of DFS in the training cohort.

Characteristic	Univariate analysis			Multivariate analysis
	HR (95% CI)	P value		HR (95% CI)	P value
Age (≥60 vs. <60 years)	2.395 (1.565–3.664)	<0.001		1.809 (1.166–2.808)	0.008
Gender (male vs. female)	1.309 (0.881–1.943)	0.182
Smoking (yes vs. no)	0.932 (0.509–1.706)	0.819
Drinking (yes vs. no)	1.283 (0.700–2.349)	0.420
Rapid growth (yes vs. no)	1.945 (1.238–3.056)	0.004		1.651 (1.032–2.642)	0.037
Pain (yes vs. no)	1.717 (1.129–2.611)	0.011		NS
Facial palsy (yes vs. no)	3.563 (2.032–6.251)	<0.001		NS
Grade (high vs. low/intermediate)	3.142 (2.096–4.710)	<0.001		2.045 (1.322–3.163)	0.001
pT stage (3/4 vs. 1/2)	2.192 (1.455–3.304)	<0.001		NS
pN stage (positive vs. negative)	2.786 (1.577–4.924)	<0.001		NS
Neck dissection (yes vs. no)	1.905 (1.041–3.486)	0.037		NS
FN sacrifice (yes vs. no)	3.217 (2.155–4.801)	<0.001		2.284 (1.478–3.530)	<0.001
Surgery margin (positive/close vs. negative)	3.333 (1.960–5.666)	<0.001		1.853 (1.060–3.240)	0.031

DFS, disease-free survival; HR, hazard ratio; FN, facial nerve; NS, not significant.