The incidence of cancer of the tongue is relatively infrequent in head and neck malignancy. It occurs more commonly in men over 50. However, in recent years. The incidence of tongue cancer in women and in younger patients has increased. The
prognosis of
tongue cancer is relatively poor compared to other carcinoma of the head and neck, because there is no internal anatomical barrier to prevent tumor from spreading also it is difficult to evaluate exactly the stage of tumor extension and there is
high
incidence of ipsilateral or contralateral regional lymph nodes metastasis.
Author has analyzed retrospectively 32 cases of tongue cancer(30 cases sguamous cell ca,1 case of rhabdo myosarcoma, 1 case of angiosarcoma) treated surgically from 1987 through 1990 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Pusan National University
Hospital to find out the clinical course and the results.
@ES The results obtained were as follows:
@EN 1) With respect to the site of origin, there were 17 cases(53.0%) on middle 1/3 of mobile tongue, 11 cases(34.5%) on anterior 1/3 or mobile tongue, 3 cases(9.4%) on the base of the tongue and 1 case(3.1%) on dorsum of mobile tongue.
2) Of 30 cases of carcinoma, early cases such as stage I (9 cases, 30%) and stage II(10 cases, 33.3%) were more than advanced cases at the time of diagnosis.
3) Of 30 cases of carcinoma, lymph nodes metastasis was 33.3%. Among all carcinoma of mobile tongue, author observed lymph nodes metastasis 10% in T1, 30.8% in T2, 100% in T3 and 50% in T4 respectively.
4) Intraoral partial glossectomy was done mostly in 16 cases, COMMANDO operation plus PMMC flap reconstruction in 16 cases and glossectomy plus discontinous radical neck dissection were performed in 6 cases.
5) Our patients suffered no serious postoperative complications. Partial necrosis of PMMC flap was noted in only 2 cases.
6) There were 2 cases of local recurrence, 2 cases of neck recurrence and 2 cases of distant metastasis.
7) Over all, the 2-year survival rate was 79%.
|