Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in young patients: a matched-pair analysis.
BACKGROUND
Tongue cancer is seen with increasing frequency in young individuals. There is controversy concerning the clinical course and outcome for oral tongue cancer in young patients.


METHODS
A retrospective review of 36 patients under 40 years of age with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was performed. These patients were matched to an older population. The 5-year disease-free survival; rates of local, regional, and distant failure; and rate of second primary tumor were determined for both populations.


RESULTS
The 5-year disease-free survival for the young patients was 62% versus 69% in the older population (p = .30). Ten of 36 (28%) of younger patients recurred locally versus five of 36 (14%) of the older patients (p = .11). Nine of 36 (25%) younger patients recurred regionally in the younger group versus six of 36 (17%) patients in the older group (p = .25). Sixteen of 36 (44%) of the younger patients had locoregional failure versus eight of 36 (22%) of the older patients (p < .05). The rates of metastatic disease and second primary lesions were similar in both populations.


CONCLUSIONS
In this series, younger patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue had a higher rate of locoregional recurrence rate than did older patients. This did not translate into a survival difference.
Friedlander
P L
PL
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Schantz
S P
SP
Shaha
A R
AR
Yu
G
G
Shah
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology