title: Regional recurrence in early stage I-II oral tongue cancer: a single institutional study and review of the literature.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  There is a high propensity for locoregional and isolated regional failure in stage II patients, even though treated with combined therapy. In stage I patients the risk of isolated regional failure was moderate, at levels below 10%.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The neck treatment of early stages of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) are still debatable, considering that previous studies have produced diverting results. The purpose of this study is to report on the outcome of patients with stages I-II, with special respect to regional outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients treated for OTSCC at Karolinska University Hospital between 2008-2014 were included. Patient demographics, intention of treatment, treatment modality, time of follow-up and status at follow-up, recurrence, and place of recurrence were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 230 patients, 149 presented within stages I and II. Of those, 105 were electively treated to the neck. In stage I, the risk of presence of disease in the neck specimen was four out of 63 (6%), whereas 17 out of 41 (41%) were positive in stage II patients. The overall risk of isolated regional failure at any time in stage I patients was six out of 89 and in stage II 25 out of 60.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|b Department of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gahm
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Palmgren
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marklund
authors.affiliation: b Department of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|d Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halle
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Lalle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammarstedt-Nordenvall
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Tongue cancer; neck dissection; recurrence; regional recurrence