Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the regional recurrences in 48 cases of T1 SCC of tongue and floor of mouth.
Methods
Retrospective review of 48 cases of T1 SCC of tongue and floor of mouth treated primarily with local resection of the tumor. All the cases were reviewed concerning the tumor site, size and thickness, presence of perineural invasion, desmoplastic reaction, outcome and follow-up.
Results
There was a predominance of male patients (83.3%) with a mean age of 55.4 years old. All but 7 cases were tobacoo consumers and only 10 patients did not use alcohol. The floor of mouth was the primary site in 54.20% of cases. The mean diameter of tumors was 0.86cm and the mean thickness were 0.6mm. Neck recurrences occurred in 10 cases (20.83%) and in 2 of these cases there were local recurrence. All but 1 recurrent cases were treated with salvage surgery and 4 cases died of disease in a mean time of 11.7 months.
Conclusions
The high rate of neck recurrences in early oral carcinomas must be considered during the treatment planning of these cases and the need of neck dissection should be considered, even in tumors with less than 2.0cm.
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