title: Brachytherapy for stage I & II oral tongue cancer: an analysis of past cases focusing on control and complications.
abstract: An analysis of the therapy used for 370 tongue cancer patients has been made, said patients having been treated by interstitial irradiation alone or by combined external irradiation and brachytherapy (Stage I:90 cases, IIa: 196 cases; and IIb: 84 cases). The neck was followed by close follow-up (304 cases), treated by elective neck irradiation (56 cases), or underwent operation at the time of local recurrence (10 cases). The results have shown that the 5-year survivals for Stages I, IIa, and IIb were 84%, 78%, and 72%, respectively. further, the 5-year primary control was 85% for tumors of the superficial type, 79% for tumors of the exophytic type, and 45% for tumors of the infiltrative type (p < 0.004). In non-electively irradiated patients, a neck metastasis occurred in 31% in Stage I, 41% in Stage IIa, and 51% in Stage IIb. Finally, 110 patients incurred radiation-induced complications (110/291 = 38%) and 11 patients (11/291 = 4%) required a surgical procedure. Brachytherapy for tongue cancer achieved results that are comparable with surgery. The analysis also revealed that the introduction of computer dosimetry and the use of a spacer (a dental guard) in brachytherapy have achieved superior results in the management of a tongue cancer.
authors: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Shibuya
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hoshina
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Takeda
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Matsumoto
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Suzuki
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Okada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*