Total glossectomy in the organ preservation era.
OBJECTIVE
Total or subtotal glossectomy is considered a highly morbid procedure. However, in some institutions and in selected cases of unsuccessful chemoradiation regimens, it is performed with acceptable oncological and functional outcomes.


RESULTS
Chemoradiation for advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancers is also highly morbid and some authors reported reasonable functional results after major glossectomies. Also, there is a lack of prospective trials comparing the long-term outcome between chemoradiation and major glossectomies.


CONCLUSIONS
Total and/or subtotal glossectomies with immediate reconstruction can be performed in highly selected patients with advanced oral or base of the tongue carcinomas, as a primary or salvage procedure, with acceptable outcomes.
Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A.C. Camargo Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
José G
JG
Vartanian
José
J
Magrin
Luiz P
LP
Kowalski
D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005927:Glossectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000637:transplantation; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*