title: Long-term results of brachytherapy in early mobile tongue cancer with 10-year minimal follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively analyze the long-term toxicities of low-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (LDR-BT) with related prognostic factors for patients with early mobile tongue cancer (T1/2N0M0) at a minimum of 10 years' follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 187 patients treated with LDR-BT between 1980 and 2000, out of whom 25 were treated with additional prior external beam irradiation, were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall survival at 15 and 20 years was 88.4% and 76.2%, respectively. Complications included tongue ulcer (26%), tongue erosion (3%), tongue atrophy (2%), bone exposure (15%), and osteoradionecrosis (4%). No patient presented xerostomia or taste disorders. Multivariate analysis revealed that tongue ulcer and the use of spacer were significantly associated with bone exposure and osteoradionecrosis. Local recurrence was demonstrated in 15 (8%) cases, 93% of which were salvaged by operation. Fifty patients (27%) experienced neck metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LDR-BT is an acceptable treatment option, with low rates of long-term toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 5-45, Yushima 1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan. aamm.mrad@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mais M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abdalmear
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibuya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010025:Osteoradionecrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy