Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Research Articles

Pyrrolidinedione-thiazolidinone hybrid molecules with potent cytotoxic effect in squamous cell carcinoma SCC-15 cells

The hybrid heterocyclic molecules are perspective materials in the development of anticancer drugs. Here, the pyrrolidinedione-thiazolidinone hybrid molecules were designed as potent anticancer agents. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of three derivatives 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-, 1-(4-chlorophenyl)- and 1-(4-bromophenyl)-3-[5-[2-chloro-3-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-enylidene]-4-oxo-2-thioxothiazolidine-3-yl]pyrrolidine-2,5-diones (Les-6287, Les-6294, and Les-6328, respectively), their effect on the production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis induction, and expression of genes - PPARγ, AHR, and NRFL2 – whose products are important in metabolism in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells of SCC-15 line. The results of resazurin reduction and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays proved the toxicity of the tested derivatives for the SCC-15 cells. Les-6287, Les-6294, and Les-6328 inhibited the viability of SCC-15 cells with the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) in the range of 10.18–32.75 µM at 24 and 48 h treatment. These derivatives reduced the metabolism of SCC-15 cells with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 6.72–39.85 µM at 24 and 48 h treatment. Les-6287, Les-6294, and Les-6328 reduced the metabolism of normal human keratinocytes of HaCaT line murine fibroblasts of Balb/c 3T3 line to a lesser extent. The compounds used in a range from 50 to 100 µM concentrations decreased ROS production in the SCC-15 cells. The derivatives Les-6287 and Les-6328 decreased the level of expression of mRNA of PPARγ, AHR, and NRFL2 genes in these cells at PPARγ siRNA knockdown and without it. Thus, the anticancer effect of studied hybrid pyrrolidinedione-thiazolidinones in the SCC-15 carcinoma cells is accompanied by a reduction of their metabolic activity and ROS level, and increase in caspase 3 activity. However, these changes are not the result of direct interaction of Les-6287, Les-6294, and Les-6328 with the PPARγ molecule.

ARNTL inhibits the malignant behaviors of oral cancer by regulating autophagy in an AKT/mTOR pathway-dependent manner.

Current studies have shown that ARNTL, an important clock gene, plays an anticancer role and is downregulated in certain types of cancer. However, the biological functions and mechanisms of ARNTL in tumors remain largely unknown. This study aimed to elucidate how ARNTL-induced autophagy impacts the biological properties of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cells and the mechanisms by which ARNTL expression activates autophagy. ARNTL was stably overexpressed in TSCC cells to investigate its functions in vitro and in vivo. We found that activation of autophagy induced by ARNTL decreases cell proliferation, enhances cell death, and hinders the migratory ability of TSCC cells. Moreover, ARNTL antagonizes the AKT/mTOR pathway, which potentiates autophagy induction. The manipulation of Akt activation cancels the effects of ARNTL overexpression on the biological behaviors of TSCC cells. Furthermore, after the addition of SC79, the upregulated BAX expression due to ARNTL overexpression and downregulated expressions of BCL-2 and MMP2 were remarkably rescued. In vivo tumorigenicity assays and immunohistochemistry also confirmed that ARNTL overexpression suppresses tumor development. Our study found for the first time that ARNTL inhibits the malignant behaviors of oral cancer cells by regulating autophagy in an AKT/mTOR pathway-dependent manner, which provides a novel theoretical basis for the potential future application of ARNTL to treat patients with oral cancer.

Identification of salivary metabolic biomarker signatures for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectiveTo identify the salivary metabolites associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue to develop easy and non-invasive potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis. DesignInitially, the study utilized untargeted metabolomics to analyze 20 samples of tongue squamous cell carcinoma and 10 control samples. The objective was to determine the salivary metabolites that exhibited differential expression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Then the selected metabolites were validated using targeted metabolomics in saliva samples of 100 patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, as well as 30 healthy control individuals. ResultsFrom the analysis of untargeted metabolomics, 10 metabolites were selected as potential biomarkers. In the subsequent targeted metabolomics study on these selected metabolites, it was observed that N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-Pipecolic acid, L-Carnitine, Phosphorylcholine, and Deoxyguanosine exhibited significant differences. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicates a combination of three important metabolites such as N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-Pipecolic acid and L-Carnitine provided the best prediction with an area under the curve of 0.901. ConclusionsThe present result reveals that the N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-Pipecolic acid and L-Carnitine are the signature diagnostic biomarkers for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. These findings can be used to develop a rapid and non-invasive method for disease monitoring and prognosis in oral tongue cancer.

The pattern and spread of invasion can predict late cervical lymph node metastasis in early tongue squamous cell carcinoma

To determine the predictive indexes of late cervical lymph node metastasis in early tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 25 patients with stage I/II TSCC who had undergone surgical treatment without elective neck dissection. We evaluated the relationships between clinicopathologic factors and the occurrence of late cervical lymph node metastasis. Of the 25 cases, metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes was observed in nine cases (36.0%). The clinicopathological factors associated with late cervical lymph node metastasis were the mode of invasion (MOI, p = 0.032), depth of invasion (DOI, p = 0.004), and perineural invasion (PNI, p = 0.040). A multivariate analysis revealed that only the DOI was an independent predictor of late cervical lymph node metastasis. The combination of the DOI and MOI or the PNI and MOI was significantly correlated with late cervical lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004 and p = 0.012, respectively). Our findings suggest that combinations of the MOI, DOI, and PNI could be used as an index for predicting late cervical lymph node metastasis in early TSCC.

Prognostic value of histopathological grading systems in lip and tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Prognostic value of histopathological grading systems in lip and tongue squamous cell carcinoma

A novel pathological finding, "BABA", for a prognostic factor in oral tongue carcinoma.

92 Background: Oral tongue carcinoma is one of the cancers with poor prognosis. The UICC staging classification is commonly used to predict outcomes and to select the treatments, although there are cases where cancer relapse early despite being at the same Stages, indicating a need for additional prognostic factors to predict patient outcomes accurately. Recent advances in RNA sequencing of tumor and immune cells, as well as elucidation of the tumor microenvironment, have enabled the identification of many genes associated with recurrence risk and immunosuppressive environment around the tumor, which essential for precision treatment of the patients with high risks of recurrence. However pathological findings remain the first step in selecting samples with a high risk of recurrence for further analysis of RNA sequencing or the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we identified a novel pathological feature named as “BABA” (Broadening Amoeboid Behavior of Advanced tumor cells) that appears around the invasive front of tumors. It describes the way in which cancer cells progress like amoeba between muscle fibers and affect the prognosis of oral tongue carcinoma, making it a potential factor for the future analysis of next-generation sequencing or tumor microenvironment. Methods: Patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgery were recruited, excluding those who had received salvage treatment for recurrence, those with simultaneous occurrence of carcinoma, those who had undergone palliative therapy, postoperative therapy, or those who lacked any pathological findings. Survival analyses for existing pathological findings, such as pT (pathological primary stage), pN (pathological nodal stage), ENE (extra nodal extension) status, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural extension, margin status, WPOI (worst pattern of invasion) and BABA were conducted. Results: A total number of 211 patients were analyzed in this study. Patients with positive for BABA had a two-year overall survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate of 0.78(p=0.02) and 0.39 (p<0.001), respectively, according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. In the multivariate analysis for overall survival using Cox regression model, venous invasion and pN ≥1 were significant prognostic factors, with HR (95%CI) of 3.0 (1.5-6.3) and 2.4 (1.2-4.5), respectively. In the multivariate analysis for recurrence free survival using Cox regression model, positive for lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, BABA, pN ≥1 were significant factors, with HR (95%CI) of 2.1 (1.2-3.6), 2.0 (1.1-3.4), 2.2 (1.3-3.7) and 2.0 (1.2-3.6), respectively. Conclusions: BABA is the novel risk factor for recurrence in oral tongue carcinoma. Identifying BABA could help clinicians better predict recurrence and develop more personalized treatment strategies.

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis from tissue metabolic profiling.

Disease metabolomes have been studied for identifying diagnostic and predictive biomarkers of pathology. Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is one of the most prevalent subtypes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, yet the profile and diagnostic value of its tissue metabolite are unclear. Tumor tissue samples and matched normal mucosal tissue samples were collected from 40 OTSCC patients. Untargeted metabolic analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry, in positive and negative ion modes, was used to identify dysregulated metabolites in OTSCC. Further, utilizing LASSO regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses, biomarker metabolites were selected and validated, and a diagnostic model was established. One hundred and ninety metabolites were detected. The OTSCC had a total of 89 dysregulated metabolites, of which 73 were elevated. A diagnostic panel of nine metabolites was subsequently created that could accurately identify OTSCC with 100% sensitivity of 100%, 100% specificity and an AUC of 1.00. This study identified distinct metabolic characteristics of OTSCC and established a diagnostic model. Our research also contributes to the investigation of the pathogenesis of OTSCC.

Single Lymph Node Metastasis and Adjuvant Therapy in Stage III Tongue Cancer

Background and Objectives We analyzed treatment results among stage III oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) patients and performed subgroup analyses according to the depth of invasion (DOI) and node positivity.Subjects and Method We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 87 stage III OTSCC patients.Results A total of 32 recurrences occurred during the study period, eight cases of local recurrence, 12 cases of regional recurrence, eight cases of distant metastasis, and four cases of loco-regional recurrence. During the study period, 27 patients died due to disease progression. The 5-year recurrence-free survival of the patients was 62.9%, and the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 75.3%. When prognostic factors related to disease recurrence and survival were analyzed through univariate and multivariate analyses, only the N classification was significantly associated with patient survival (hazard ratio 0.36, confidence interval 0.14-0.91). The 5-year DSS of N0 patients was 87.6%, and the 5-year DSS of N1 patients was 63.9%. Among N1 patients, the 5-year DSS was 90.5% when adjuvant therapy was administered and 63.9% when adjuvant therapy was not administered, which is a statistically significant difference. We did not observe any difference in treatment outcome or survival between patients with superficial (DOI ≤10 mm) or deep lesions (DOI >10 mm).Conclusion Among the stage III OTSCC patients, patients with single lymph node (LN) metastasis (N1) showed a distinct prognostic difference from other patients (N0), and the administration of adjuvant therapy to patients having single LN metastasis without other risk factors significantly improved their 5-year DSS.

FDFT1 repression by piR-39980 prevents oncogenesis by regulating proliferation and apoptosis through hypoxia in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

AimTongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is one of the most aggressive tumors whose underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Previous studies have identified piR-39980, a non-coding RNA, as a tumour suppressor or oncogene in different malignancies and the cholesterogenic protein, Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1) playing critical roles in cancer. The present study investigates the role of piR-39980, and its target FDFT1, in regulating the malignancy of TSCC. Main methodsWe performed qRT-PCR to determine the expression of FDFT1, piR-39980 and validated FDFT1 as a target of piR-39980 by dual luciferase assay. Then, to investigate the role of FDFT1 overexpression and piR-39980's inhibitory effect on FDFT1 in TSCC oncogenesis, we carried out MTT, migration, ROS estimation, and flow cytometric cell cycle assays. In addition to the above experiments, we also carried out flow cytometric apoptosis assay, chromatin condensation, γ-H2AX accumulation, and phalloidin staining assays upon overexpression and silencing of piRNA to unveil its mechanism of actions in TSCC malignancy. Key findingsFDFT1 promotes the oncogenesis of TSCC cells. Further, transient overexpression of piR-39980 significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, ROS generation, and colony formation and increased DNA damage and chromatin condensation causing cell death by repressing FDFT1. We conjectured that FDFT1 repression induces hypoxia, which slows DNA repair and accumulates damaged DNA, causing death of TSCC cells. SignificanceOur study showed FDFT1 acts as an oncogene in TSCC, unlike other cancers, whose repression by a piRNA could prevent oncogenesis by regulating proliferation and apoptosis through hypoxia. This study reveals novel gene-regulatory mechanistic insights into TSCC oncogenesis.

Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Candida in Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

This retrospective study addressed the role of oral potentially malignant disorders and the presence of intraepithelial Candida hyphae in the carcinogenesis of the oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and its association with smoking, alcohol consumption, and oral inflammatory burden. The medical records of 183 subjects diagnosed with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma at the Helsinki University Hospital were investigated. Preceding oral lichen planus, lichenoid reaction, and leukoplakia diagnosis were recorded. Further, the data on Candida hyphae in histological samples as an indicator of oral candidiasis, oral inflammatory burden, smoking, and alcohol consumption were recorded and analyzed. The histopathological diagnosis of oral lichen planus/lichenoid reaction (p < 0.001) and the presence of Candida hyphae (p = 0.005) were associated significantly with female gender. Oral lichen planus/lichenoid reaction patients were less often smokers than patients without these lesions. Candida hyphae were more often recorded in patients without alcohol use (p = 0.012). Oral lichen planus/lichenoid reaction and Candida hyphae in histological samples were associated with female gender and lower levels of typical risk factors, such as alcohol use and smoking, in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients. Therefore, these patients should be well monitored despite a potential lack of the classical risk factors of oral carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue in young adults: A Swedish head & neck cancer register (SweHNCR) population-based analysis of prognosis in relation to age and stage

Increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue has been reported in young adults (YA) in several countries since the 1980s and confirmed in later studies. The etiology is unclear, the prognosis has been debated, and conflicting results have been published. Some studies show better survival in young adults than in older patients, some worse, and others no difference. Most studies are based on selected series or include other sites in the oral cavity. The definition of “YA” is arbitrary and varies between studies. It is thus difficult to use in general conclusions.This work uses data from the population-based Swedish Head and Neck Cancer register (SweHNCR), which has > 98% coverage. SweHNCR data includes age, gender, TNM, treatment intention, treatment given, lead times, performance status, and to a lesser degree, smoking habits. The current Swedish population is around 10 million.We analyzed outcomes for 1416 patients diagnosed with SCC of the oral tongue from 2008 to 2017 using 18–39 years to define YA age because it is the range most commonly used.We found no significant difference in relative survival (a proxy for diagnosis-specific survival) between age groups of patients treated with curative intent for SCC of the oral tongue. The stage at time of diagnosis was equally distributed among the age groups. Excess mortality rate correlated mainly with stage, subsite of the tongue, performance status, and lead time to treatment.

Rac1 activation in oral squamous cell carcinoma as a predictive factor associated with lymph node metastasis.

Secondary lymph node metastasis (SLNM) indicates a poor prognosis, and limiting it can improve the survival rate in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Many factors have been identified as predictors of SLNM; however, there is no unified view. Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) was found to be a promoter of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and is also attracting attention as a new therapeutic target. This study aims to investigate the role of Rac1 in metastasis and its relationship with pathological findings in early-stage TSCC. Rac1 expression levels of 69 cases of stage I/II TSCC specimens and their association with clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The role of Rac1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was examined after Rac1 in OSCC cell lines was silenced in vitro. High Rac1 expression was significantly associated with the depth of invasion (DOI), tumor budding (TB), vascular invasion, and SLNM (p < 0.05). Univariate analyses revealed that Rac1 expression, DOI, and TB were factors significantly associated with SLNM (p < 0.05). Moreover, our multivariate analysis suggested that Rac1 expression was the only independent determinant of SLNM. An in vitro study revealed that Rac1 downregulation tended to decrease cell migration and proliferation. Rac1 was suggested to be an important factor in the metastasis of OSCC, and it could be useful as a predictor of SLNM.

WPOI-4/5 Correlates With Lymph Node Recurrence and Poor Prognosis in Early-stage Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Neck management in patients with early-stage tongue cancer remains controversial. The worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) of the primary tumor has been associated with the incidence of regional metastasis. We investigated the prognostic role of WPOI, especially in relation to regional lymph node recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS). We retrospectively reviewed medical records and evaluated tumor specimens of 38 patients with early-stage tongue cancer who underwent primary tumor resection without elective neck dissection. Regional lymph node recurrence rates were significantly higher in patients with WPOI-4/5 compared with WPOI-1 to -3. The 5-year DSS rates were significantly higher for WPOI-1 to -3 than for WPOI-4/5. Notably, patients with WPOI-1 to -3 achieved a 100% 5-year DSS rate with salvage neck dissection and postoperative treatment, even those with cervical lymph node recurrence, whereas patients with WPOI-4/5 had a poorer prognosis. Patients with WPOI-1 to -3 tumors can be followed up without neck dissection until regional lymph node recurrence is detected, with a good course after salvage treatment. In contrast, patients with WPOI-4/5 tumors who are followed up until the appearance of regional lymph node recurrence have a poor prognosis, even with adequate treatment for recurrent disease.

Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA 519 Promotes the Biological Activities of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Sponging microRNA-876-3p and Consequently Upregulating MACC1 [Retraction

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.2147/OTT.S279798.].

Diagnosis of Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Tongue after Treatment of Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Abstract In the present case report, a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) developed a second primary tumor in the tongue at the same time. Stage III middle esophageal SCC was discovered in a 60-year-old Caucasian male patient who was institutionalized, a smoker, and had previously struggled with alcoholism. Following treatment, the patient was admitted to the hospital for 15 days due to dysphagia and malnutrition. According to him, he had mouth pain while in the hospital. An intraoral examination revealed tooth mobility, bacterial plaque, dental calculus, and a 1.3-cm ulcerated lesion on the right lateral edge of the tongue. During the extraoral examination, no palpable lymph nodes were found in the submandibular or cervical regions. The tongue lesion was excisionally biopsied, and the histological evaluation agreed. The patient was advised to seek treatment for tongue SCC. Given that patients with esophageal SCC have a 9.3%–11.4% risk of developing head-and-neck SCC, multiprofessional follow-up of patients with esophageal SCC is critical for early detection of this cancer.

Oleic Acid sebagai Terapi Komplementer Kanker

Cancer is a global health problem that is responsible for one in six deaths worldwide. Over the last few decades, there were only a few cancer treatment options for patients, namely surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy as a single treatment or in combination. This method is considered to have many shortcomings, so alternative therapy is needed. Several natural compounds are reported to have anti-cancer properties, one of which is Oleic Acid (OA). Some of the benefits of oleic acid are inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells, and as an antitumor. Various types ofcancerthatsignificantlyaffectthe contentof oleic acid,namely, human lung carcinoma,Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma(TSCC), esophageal cancer,breast cancer,and lung adenocarcinoma. In general, the results of studies regarding the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer functions of omega-9 apart from oleic acid are quite scarce. Thus, further studies are needed to better understand the mechanism of omega-9, especially oleic acid, which can reduce cancer risk.

Sensory Recovery of Free Flaps Used in Reconstruction of Tongue after Resection of Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What Factors Could Influence the Process?

Reconstruction of defects after resection of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) becomes an insurmountable thing that aims to improve the life quality of patients. Recently, reconstruction procedure not only aims to restore function and bulk of tongue, but also to restore the sensation modalities that increase efficacy of the neo-tongue. Sensory recovery of neo-tongue remains a very difficult topic that influenced by multiple factors that could delay or diminish sensory recovery process.

Genetic characteristics of advanced oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in young patients

ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate genetic alterations in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) based on age and the clinical significance of these alterations in young OTSCC patients. Materials and MethodsWe detected genetic alterations in 44 cases of advanced OTSCC through next-generation sequencing and analyzed and compared patients either younger or older than 45 years. Further analysis was conducted on a validation group of 96 OTSCC patients aged ≤ 45 years to examine the clinical and prognostic associations of TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations. ResultsTP53 mutation was the most common genetic alteration in advanced OTSCC (88.6%), followed by TERTp mutation (59.1%), CDKN2A mutation (31.8%), FAT1 mutation (9.1%), NOTCH1 mutation (9.1%), EGFR amplification (18.2%), and CDKN2A homozygous deletion (4.5%). TERTp mutation was the only genetic alteration significantly enriched in young patients (81.3% in young versus 46.4% in older; P < 0.024). Within the validation group of young patients, TERTp mutation was identified in 30 cases (30/96, 31.3%) and tended to be related to both smoking and alcohol consumption (P = 0.072), higher stage (P = 0.002), more frequent perineural invasion (P = 0.094), and worse overall survival (P = 0.012) than wild type. ConclusionOur findings suggest that TERTp mutation is more frequent in young patients with advanced OTSCC and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Therefore, TERTp mutation may serve as a prognostic biomarker for OTSCC in young patients. The findings of this study may help in developing personalized treatment strategies for OTSCC based on age and genetic alterations.

Prognostic significance of tetraspanin CD9 and oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor in tongue squamous cell carcinoma survival

The most prevalent locations for head and neck cancer is the tongue. The surviving patients who are receiving therapy have considerably compromised speech, taste, chewing, and swallowing. CD9 is a cell surface protein that has contradictory role in cancer progression. The objective of the study is to analyze the Cluster of Differentiation 9(CD9), Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) expression in tongue cancer specimens and its clinical significance.50 tongue cancer sections were used to analyze the expression of CD9,EGFR and p-Akt by immunohistochemistry. Data regarding the histological grade of the tumor, age, sex, and habits were recorded, and relation with CD9,EGFR and p-Akt expression was assessed. Data were expressed as mean ± SEM. Categorical data was analyzed by Chi-square test. Student t-test was used to check the significance of data between two groups.A significant increase in the CD9,EGFR and p-Akt expression (1.8 ± 0.11, 2.06 ± 0.18 and 2.3 ± 0.15 respectively) was seen in the tongue cancer specimens. CD9 and p-Akt expression had a significant association with the histological grade (p < 0.004 and p < 0.006 respectively). CD9 expression was higher in patients with the combination of addiction/habit compared to patients with single addictions(1.08 ± 0.11 and 0.75 ± 0.47). Overall a poor rate of survival was observed in CD9 positive patients(p < 0.039). EGFR and p-Akt expression increased with increasing expression of CD9, suggesting its use as a biomarker to track the development of TSCC.

A study of incidence and propensity of locoregional lymph nodes in clinically N0 cases of carcinoma of tongue

Background: Oral cavity cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with a high prevalence in South Asia. Among the populations where tobacco chewing is not endemic, tongue is the most frequent subsite for intraoral cancer. Methods: The prospective observational study was done at our tertiary care centre on 50 patients. CECT neck was done in all the clinically N0 (zero) cases to know the extent of tumour and neck metastasis. Wide local excision with elective neck dissection (END) was done for all clinically N0 cases with 1 year follow-up. Results: Clinical examination had high false negatives, sensitivity of CT scan imaging=18/20×100=90%, positive predictive value of CT scan imaging=18/26×100=69.23% and diagnostic accuracy=40 (18+22)/50=80%. Significant association was found between neck lymph node metastasis and tumor thickness. No significant association was found between grade of tumor and metastasis. Conclusions: CECT neck help to delineate the extent of END in carcinoma of tongue. In early-stage squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue (T1 and T2), a tumour thickness &gt;5 mm should be taken as an indicator for prophylactic neck dissection as it is significantly associated with subclinical metastasis. Hemiglossectomy should be preferred over partial glossectomy to achieve better locoregional clearance and in turn to reduce rate of local recurrence. Hemiglossectomy with prophylactic END followed by appropriate chemoradiotherapy reduces locoregional recurrences and improved overall survival rate in early stage I and II of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).