Very few cancers of tongue will be found on a routine examination, but ususally the patient presents himself at the doctor’s office because of painfull ulcer, or foul order of tongue. The treatment of cancer of tongue is divided among radiologists and surgeons, depending on the anatomical location of primary cancer, the size and extent of involved adjacent tissue, and whether or not metastases have occurred. Recently the combined use of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery arise the best means of treatment of tongue cancer. There is no difference in cure rates depending upon the location of primary cancer, but difference in distribution in the stage of disease at initial presentation.
Composite resection, so-called "commando" operation is the standard surgical method for treating cancer of tongue. The technique for reconstruction of composite resection defect includes primary closure, skin graft, local flap, and myocutaneous flap. More recently pectoralis major myocutaneous flap have been suggested, and its abundant tissue with an excellent blood supply, anatomic proximity, and reliability all facilitate the immediate reconstruction of a variety of defects in head and neck area.
Authors have good result using commando operation with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and pull-through operation for treatment of cancer of tongue.
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