Prognostic Factors in Early Tongue Cancer: A Retrospective Review

Abstract

Tongue cancer is biologically and epidemiologically distinct from other oral cavity tumors. This retrospective study explored figures and analyzed factors of local control and survival rates in 35 patients, who were managed for early squamous cell carcinoma of anterior tongue, between 2003 and 2015, at an Oncology Unit. Cumulative recurrence rate was 25.71%, which was associated with 50.3% survival rate compared to an overall survival rate of 76.2%. Relapse was more frequent among Shamma consumers (66.7% versus 30.8%) and patients with perineural invasion (55% versus 34.6%), while mortality rate was higher in case of thin tumor margin (21.4% versus 10%) compared to their counterparts, respectively. However, due to small sample size, none of the comparisons was statistically significant. The outcomes of oral cancer can be significantly improved by promoting abstinence from shamma and enhancing early diagnosis.