Clinical evaluation of external beam radiotherapy combined with arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced oral tongue cancer

Purpose : Clinical study results of external beam radiotherapy combined with arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced oral tongue cancer were analyzed. Methods and Materials : Forty patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma underwent these combined therapy in the period between 1985 and 1996. Subject include 17 males and 23 females. Ages ranged from 27 to 84 ; median age was 64.2. The size of primary lesion was classified as follows : T1 : 2 cases T2 : 16 cases, T3 : 21 cases, T4 : 1 case. 16 patients were treated as radical therapy, 24 as preoperative therapy. Anti-cancer drugs used for arterial infusion were 5-FU (31 patients) or CBDCA (9 patients). Results : For 16 radical cases, ten (62.5 %) were CR (tumor disappeared). In 4 cases (25.0 %), tumor volume was decreased above 50 %, but in two (12.5 %) any local effect could not be confirmed. For 24 pre-operative cases, Complete Response (CR) was observed only in 12.5 % (3 patients). Partial Response (PR) was observed in 15 patients (62.5 %), no change (NC) in 6 (25.0 %). In six form 15 PR cases disappearance of viable atypical cells could be confirmed from histological examinations of resected tongue. In results local control rate (CR rate) for 24 pre-operative cases was 37.5 % (9/24). Severe complications, for examples ulcerations of the tongue or exposure of the mandible could not be found in any cases. Conclusion : CR was observed in 19 patients (47.5 %) out of 40, and severe late complications were noted in no patients. External beam radiotherapy combined with arterial infusion chemotherapy were effective for locally advanced cancer of anterior two- thirds of the tongue.