title: Interstitial brachytherapy for lower lip carcinoma: global assessment in a retrospective study of 89 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lower lip is a highly curable cancer. We retrospectively analyzed oncologic, functional, and cosmetic outcomes after interstitial low-dose rate brachytherapy at 58 Gy (50-62) of lower lip SCC treated in our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 89 patients (44 T1, 33 T2, 2 T3, and 10 after wedge-excision). All tumors were N0 at the time of treatment. We calculated survival rates and assessed functional and cosmetic results de visu.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a median follow-up of 36 months (range, 9-127), 5-year local control rate was 95% and 5-year disease-free survival was 82%. Only 6 patients (5 T2 and 1 T3) developed secondary cervical nodal involvement. Sixty-one patients were reassessed and 11 patients presented mild functional troubles. Cosmetic results were good (77%) or fair (21%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brachytherapy provided a high local disease control rate, excellent functional results, and good cosmetic outcomes for SCCs of the lip. Risk of cervical node involvement was low with small tumors.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Department, Integrated Center of Oncology, René Gauducheau, St. Herblain, France. emmanuel.rio@ico.unicancer.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rio
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bardet
authors.forename: Augustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mervoyer
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piot
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dreno
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Malard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult