title: Quality of life in patients after resection of pT3 lateral tongue carcinoma: Microvascular reconstruction versus primary closure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Controversy exists regarding the functional advantages of free flap reconstruction after partial glossectomy as compared to primary closure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients were included in this retrospective analysis after resection of pT3 lateral tongue carcinomas. Twenty patients received a free forearm flap and 20 patients had a primary closure. All patients had adjuvant chemoradiation, were free of disease at least 1 year after therapy, and completed the German versions of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30-questions (QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 Head and Neck 35-questions (QLQ-H&N35).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean time between surgery and quality of life (QOL) assessment was 16.2 ± 3.4 months. The average resection was 41.60% (reconstruction) of the oral tongue, and 39.1% (primary closure). After reconstruction, patients had significantly (p > .05) fewer problems with the swallowing, speech, and social eating subdomains of the EORTC QLQ-H&N35. All other items showed no significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results suggest that free flaps might be useful when treating pT3 tongue cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canis
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ihler
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice/Family Medicine, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hummers-Pradier
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthias
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hendrik A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000601:surgery; D005927:Glossectomy / Q000379:methods; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: free flap; pT3 tongue carcinoma; partial glossectomy; primary closure; quality of life