title: [Radiotherapy in the treatment of carcinomas of the base of the tongue. Analysis of the literature and personal experience].
abstract: Carcinoma of the base of the tongue is usually treated with radiation therapy. After a review of the literature, the findings are reported of 129 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue treated in 1979-1983, with a minimum of a 3-year follow-up: 8 T1, 40 T2, 60 T3 and 21 T4 were found; only 48 cases were N0. Advanced stages (stage III and stage IV) were 83% of the total. External photon irradiation (Cobalt-60) was used in all cases; 33 patients underwent chemotherapy or surgery as additional treatment. The overall local control rate was 45.7%. Local control decreased as T stage advanced: T1 62.5%, T2 55%, T3 41.7% and T4 33.3%. The overall regional control rate for lymph nodes clinically palpable was 51.8%. The overall actuarial 5-year survival rate was 29.1%. The 5-year survival rate according to the N-staging varied from 37% for N0-stage to 17.4% for N3-stage. The majority of failures (92.8%) occurred within 2 years since the end of the therapy. Treatment complications, secondary carcinomas and causes of death are also discussed. Radiation therapy has proven to be effective for early-stage carcinoma of the base of the tongue; in more extensive lesions results are poor. Improved results could be obtained by optimal application of radiotherapeutic techniques. Knowledge of the various prognostic factors is essential to administer the therapeutic regimen for a given patient by the characteristics of his particular tumor.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Radioterapia, Università, Torino.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sannazzari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gabriele
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orecchia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orecchia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Invernizzi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Besozzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pisani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
vernacular_title: La radioterapia nel trattamento dei carcinomi della base della lingua. Analisi della letteratura ed esperienza personale.