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Improved outcomes with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in Finland
Author(s) -
Mroueh Rayan,
Haapaniemi Aaro,
Grénman Reidar,
Laranne Jussi,
Pukkila Matti,
Almangush Alhadi,
Salo Tuula,
Mäkitie Antti
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.24744
Subject(s) - tongue , medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , basal cell , incidence (geometry) , head and neck , disease , oral cancers , oral cavity , surgery , gastroenterology , dentistry , pathology , paleontology , physics , optics , biology
Background Incidence rates for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are steadily rising worldwide. Methods All patients diagnosed with primary oral tongue SCC at the 5 university hospitals in Finland from 2005 to 2009 were studied. The mean follow‐up time was 43 months (median, 54 months; range, 0–111 months). Results Three hundred sixty patients with primary oral tongue SCC were identified. Treatment with curative intent was provided for 328 patients (91%). The 5‐year disease‐specific survival (DSS) rates were as follows: stage I 87%; stage II 73%; stage III 69%; and stage IV 51%. The 5‐year recurrence‐free survival in general has improved from 47% in our previous published series (1995–1999) to 65% in the current series ( p < .001). Conclusion The outcome of oral tongue SCC has significantly improved in Finland. However, the relatively high number of disease recurrences in patients with stage I and II disease, when compared with patients with stage III and IV disease, calls for an investigation of new treatment approaches. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39 : 1306–1312, 2017