%0 Journal Article
%T Brachytherapy of stage II mobile tongue carcinoma. Prediction of local control and QOL
%A Sayako Oota
%A Hitoshi Shibuya
%A Ryo-ichi Yoshimura
%A Hiroshi Watanabe
%A Masahiko Miura
%J Radiation Oncology
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1748-717x-1-21
%X Between 1970 and 1998, 433 patients with stage II tongue squamous cell carcinoma were treated by low-dose-rate brachytherapy. This series included 277 patients treated with a linear source with a minimum follow-up of 3 years. A spacer was introduced in 1987. The primary local control rates were 85.6%.In the multivariate analysis, an invasive growth pattern was a significant factor for local recurrence. The disease-related survival was influenced by old age and an invasive growth pattern. A spacer lowered mandibular bone complications. The growth pattern was the most important factor for recurrence. Brachytherapy was associated with a high cure rate and the use of spacers brought about good quality of life (QOL).Brachytherapy is frequently chosen for the treatment of stage II mobile tongue cancer, so as to avoid the large tissue defects caused by surgery, and conserve good function. Since surgery of T1 tumors is associated with good results in terms of the prognosis and function, the ratio of patients with T2 tumors who undergo brachytherapy has increased lately.There is relatively little information in the literature on the prognostic factors within subgroups of patients undergoing brachytherapy for tongue cancer, and there is as yet no consensus as to the best prognostic model. Given the scarcity of adequate analyses using a consistent number of variables, new studies using large control groups, especially those deriving from a single institution and falling under the umbrella of a consistent treatment policy, are needed. We evaluated variables to determine their potential for predicting local control, survival and QOL, with the aim of providing a more effective post-treatment follow-up protocol. Leukoplakia is a white patch on the oral mucosa that can neither be scraped off nor classified as any other diagnosable disease (World Health Organization 1978) [1] and is known to frequently co-exist with tongue cancer, although there has been no study determining the cor
%U http://www.ro-journal.com/content/1/1/21