Treatment selection for carcinoma of the base of the tongue

Between 1974 and 1984, 173 patients were treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue base. Fifty-four patients had T1 or T2 primaries, while 115 patients had T3 or T4 tumors (4 were not staged). Lymph node metastasis was present in 120 patients. Early primary tumors treated with surgery or radiotherapy had a control rate of 83% (5 of 6 tumors) and 89% (40 of 45 tumors), respectively. For advanced primary tumors, definitive radiotherapy produced a local control rate of 55% (42 of 76 tumors), compared with 79% (23 of 29 tumors) for surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. If primary control was obtained, the regional failure rate was less than 10%. Tumor growth patterns were predictive of the response to radiotherapy. The primary control rate at 2 years for 21 patients with exophytic tumors was 84% as opposed to 58% for 62 patients with ulcerative-infiltrative tumors (p=0.04). Radiotherapy is effective for early stage or exophytic tumors, whereas for advanced or deeply invasive tumors combined therapy enhances local control.