title: The diagnosis and treatment of oral cavity cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  About 10,000 persons are diagnosed as having carcinoma of the oral cavity or the throat in Germany every year. Squamous-cell carcinoma accounts for 95% of cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We systematically reviewed the pertinent literature on predefined key questions about these tumors (which were agreed upon by a consensus of the investigators), concerning imaging, the removal of cervical lymph nodes, and resection of the primary tumor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  246 clinical trials were selected for review on the basis of 3014 abstracts. There was only one randomized, controlled trial (evidence level 1-); the remaining trials reached evidence levels 2++ to 3. Patients with mucosal changes of an unclear nature persisting for more than two weeks should be examined by a specialist without delay. The diagnosis is made by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging along with biopsy and a standardized histopathological examination. Occult metastases are present in 20% to 40% of cases. Advanced disease (stages T3 and T4) should be treated by surgery followed by radiotherapy, with or without chemotherapy. 20% of the patients overall go on to have a recurrence, usually within 2 to 3 years of the initial treatment. The 5-year survival rate is somewhat above 50%. Depending on the radicality of surgery and radiotherapy, there may be functional deficits, osteoradionecrosis, and xerostomia. The rate of loss of implants in irradiated bone is about 10% in 3 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interdisciplinary planning and implementation of treatment, based on the patient's individual constellation of findings and personal wishes, are prerequisites for therapeutic success. Reconstructive measures, particularly microsurgical ones, have proven their usefulness and are an established component of surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Policlinic for Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München, Germany. wolffl@mkg.med.tum.de
authors.forename: Klaus-Dietrich
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Follmann
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nast
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D038622:Internationality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000401:mortality*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome