title: Interstitial brachytherapy and early tongue squamous cell carcinoma management.
abstract: The results of treatment of 341 previously untreated patients with early squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anterior two thirds of the tongue using iridium 192 implants (January 1974-December 1983) are presented. Furthermore, 265 patients underwent neck dissection, followed, in 102 cases, by radiotherapy. Incidence of local treatment complications was 19% (66 patients; however, only 3% (11 patients) needed more than a single medical treatment. Two months after completion of overall treatment, 326 patients (96%) were free of disease. Local failures occurred in 18% of cases; however, after successful salvage surgery this rate was reduced to 11%. Neck failures occurred in 18% of cases, but after successful salvage were reduced to 12%. Distant metastases were rare (1.5%), whereas metachronous cancers were frequent (102 patients). Survival rates were 61% (56% to 66%) at 3 years, 46% (41% to 51%) at 5 years, and 26% (23% to 34%) at 10 years. Deaths due to tongue cancer evolution (20%) equalled those due to metachronous cancers (18.5%) and intercurrent diseases (21%).
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coche-Dequeant
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Castelain
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prevost
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buisset
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ton Van
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes