A prospective study of prognostic factors for recurrence in early oral tongue cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tongue cancer is one of the common cancers in head and neck region. Cervical node metastasis is the strongest poor prognostic factor. Other prognostic factors were also said to be of significance. Our aim was to find out the significant prognostic factors of tumor aggressiveness in Indian perspective.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty cases of early cancer of oral tongue with clinically non palpable neck nodes were managed by upfront surgery. Surgeries performed for the primary tumor were 'wide excision' or 'hemiglossectomy' along with neck dissection. Patients were then given post-operative radiotherapy according to standard guidelines. They were analyzed using a detailed proforma. Three patients were lost to follow-up rest all patients were followed.

RESULTS: Recurrence was seen in 11 out of 60 patients (18.3%), in an average follow-up period of about 28 months. Among those who recurred, one patient had both nodal and local recurrence, 2 patients had nodal only (regional) recurrence and rest 8 patients had local recurrence. The prognostic factors that significantly affected the recurrence were endo-phytic disease, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, muscle invasion, healthy margin and adjuvant radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION: The risk factors for recurrence in early lesions of oral tongue are - Cervical nodal metastasis, Lymphatic permeation, Depth of disease - 6 mm or more, poorly differentiated tumor, Endophytic (infiltrative) disease, Young age at presentation and Muscle invasion. In early tongue lesions, that are node negative, selective node dissection (SND) including level 1, 2, 3 and 4, is a viable option for neck to decrease the morbidity of MND.