Cancer Oral Tongue: A Retrospective Epidemiological, Pathological and Clinical Analysis with Correlation to Treatment Outcome

Abstract

Background: early cancers are managed by single modality treatment (surgical excision of the primary tumor or radiotherapy (3DCRT, IMRT or brachytherapy)) with or without elective neck dissection. While locally advanced resectable disease is managed by surgery (excision of the primary tumor with modified radical neck dissection) followed by postoperative radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. This should be considered for cases with adverse pathological features. Purpose: this is a retrospective study to analyze the epidemiological, pathological and clinical factors in cancer oral tongue and correlate them to clinical outcomes [response to treatment and survival rates (disease free survival, progression free survival and overall survival)] to explore best options of care for the patients. Patients and Methods: at the Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Ain Shams University Hospitals and Nasser Institute, Cancer Center; patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of oral tongue cancer were included in this retrospective analysis. The study included 40 cases from Nasser Institute, Cancer Center and 18 cases from Ain Shams University Hospitals. The study period was 6 years from January 2011 to December 2016. Results: fifty eight recorded cases were included in the study and subsequent descriptive analysis was performed. One patient who didn’t receive any treatment was omitted from the study. Conclusion: as regard treatment; most of the patients underwent surgery followed by adjuvant concurrent chemo radiotherapy especially in patients with close or positive surgical margins or patients who didn’t undergo LN dissection. This affected DFS.