title: Modern surgical management of tongue carcinoma - a clinical retrospective research over a 12 years period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this retrospective study, we present a clinical review of our experience with tongue cancer in order to obtain valid criteria for therapeutic decision-making.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 1999 and June 2011, a total of 398 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King Edward Medical University Lahore Pakistan. Data concerning patient characteristics, clinical and pathologic tumour characteristics and treatment strategies and their results were obtained from a retrospective review of medical records. The average follow-up was 4.6 years. Statistical analysis for survival was calculated by the method of Kaplan and Meier.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 398 total patients. The mean age at diagnosis was 49.5 years,. 224 (56.3%) were male and 174 (43.7%) female (male/female ratio = 1.3:1).332/398 patients received surgical treatment, whereas 66 patients were excluded from surgical treatment and received primary radio (chemo) therapy after biopsy. Tongue carcinoma patients treated by non surgical treatment modalities had 5 years survival rate of 45.5% and patients with surgical intervention had survival rate of 96.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend categorical bilateral neck dissection in order to reliably remove occult lymph node metastases. Adjuvant treatment modalities should be applied more frequently in controlled clinical trials and should generally be implemented in cases with unclear margins and lymphatic spread.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides modern treatment strategies for the tongue carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. rana.majeed@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Majeed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Asifa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Riaz
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Warraich
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruecker
authors.forename: André M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eckardt
authors.forename: Nils-Claudius
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gellrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult