OUR TREATMENT RESULTS OF SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE TONGUE: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Ankara Numune Araştırma Eğitim Hastanesi, 2 KBB Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye OBJECTIVES: We report the results of treatment and clinical outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (SCCT) after surgical therapy. PATIENTS and METHODS: We investigated previously untreated 28 patients with SCCT from June 1998 to January 2002, prospectively. The mean follow-up was 19 months. We noted T stage, differentiation, preoperative and postoperative “N” stage, surgical margins, and vascular and neural invasion. We also evaluated clinical features of patients with local and regional recurrences and distant metastasis. RESULTS: We found that incidence of SCCT was 53.8% in all oral cavity malignant tumors. We treated with 7% of patients with local excision and 93% of patients with excision and neck dissection. We performed unilateral neck dissection in 15 patients (53.5%) and bilateral neck dissection in 11 patients (39.2%). Radiation therapy was given 67.8% of patients and combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given 10% of patients. Ipsilateral lymph node metastasis rate was 39.2% and contralateral lymph node metastasis rate was 10%. The occult metastasis rate was 21.4% in clinically No neck. Lymph node metastasis rate for T1, T2, T3 and T4 lesions was 0%, 28.5%, 66.6% and 75% respectively. The local recurrence rate was 21.4% and regional recurrence rate was 10.7%. CONCLUSION: Because of the high rate of occult metastasis to the neck and to take the risk of regional recurrence, SCCT should be treated more aggressively. Keywords : tongue squamous cell carcinoma, diagnosis, treatment