• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5061-5065
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• 2013

Background: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most common cancer diagnosed within the oral cavity worldwide. Many studies in India report OTSCC ranking among the top two most common subsites within the oral cavity. India is often labeled the oral cancer capital of the world. The incidence of tongue cancers in the population-based cancer registry (PBCR) of Chennai is showing an increasing trend. A majority of the oral cavity cancers (85%) in our cancer center present in advanced stages (III and IV). In contrast, early tongue cancers (stages I and II) constitute nearly 45% of all OTSCCs. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical profile and epidemiological trends in our early stage tongue cancer patients with an emphasis on tobacco and alcohol habits. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis was based on a prospectively collected database of 458 consecutive early stage OTSCC in-patients at a tertiary care oncology centre in Chennai between 1995 and 2008. Results: Our study suggests that the earlier trends have clearly changed whereby nearly half of our patients are now never-tobacco users. The findings of the study indicate that a majority of the patients were never alcohol users (86.4%) and nearly half of them were never tobacco users (49.3%), and they had the best survival outcomes. This increasing trend of OTSCC among non-tobacco users is in contrast to our earlier experience of tongue cancer more than five decades ago.The median age of patients in our study was 53.3 years; the male to female ratio was approximately 2:1. The median follow up for the 458 patients was 53 months. Conclusions: Our study importantly as well as interestingly shows a conspicuous absence of association with the traditional risk factors, tobacco and alcohol.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 1995

The poor survival rates of patients with carcinoma of a tongue, despite of modern therapy, is well recognized. One of the most important prognostic factors is status of the cervical lymph nodes. There have been a long-standing debate about the treatment of cervical lymph nodes in early-stage tongue cancer. There are two major treatment opinion. The one is surgical excision of primary tumor with prophylactic neck dissection, simultaneously, and the other is to delay the cervical therapy until cervical lymph node is palpable. Recently we have experienced the early cervical metastasis in three patients who had been diagnosed as a carcinoma of the tongue. They were T1, T2 lesion and no palpable node was found. But histopathologic examination showed the occult metastasis or delayed cervical metastasis was occured. By the review of literature and clinical experience, we could conclude the prophylactic neck dissection offers a better chance for success than therapeutic neck dissection of palpable lymph nodes, in case of oral tongue cancer.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 2005

Purpose: In oral tongue cancer, the degree of tumor invasion has a significant effect on the prognosis. We hypothesized that the destruction of extracelluar matrix and neovascularization are related to tumor infiltration mechanism. By studying the the tissues of early stage oral tongue cancer patients, we are intend to clarify the invasion related factors in oral tongue cancer. Material and Methods: To demonstrate the invasion process in early T-stage oral tongue cancer, the expressions of extracellular matrix destruction related molecules(MMP2, MMP9) and neovascularization related molecule(VEGF) were observed by immunohistochemical study. Also, immunohistochemical staining of CD31 was done for quantification of neovascularization. With the experiment showed above, we analyzed relationship between expression of each substances and tumor invasion depth, tumor free survival rates and cervical lymph node metastasis rate in early T-stage oral tongue cancer. Results: The expression rates of MMP2, MMP9, VEGF in 38 early oral cancer patients were 52.6%, 78.9% 52.6%, respectively. Significant correlation was found between the VEGF expression and microvessel density showed by CD31 immunohistochemical staining(p<0.001). VEGF expressions were significantly related with tumor invasion depth(p=0.002). The tumor free survival rate of those patients with VEGF-positive tumors was significantly poorer than in those with VEGF-negative tumors(p=0.019). Conclusion: This results indicate that VEGF is a useful marker for predicting the tumor invasion in patients with early tongue cancer and could be used as a beneficial factors in defining operative field and prognosis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.537-543
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• 2010

Purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate the survival rate and influencing factors. Patients and Methods: We studied 104 patients who were diagnosed for squamous cell carcinoma of tongue and received curative treatment in oral oncology clinic of National Cancer Center from June 2001 to December 2009. Results: We found the following results. 1. The overall 5-year survival rate of tongue cancer was 67.0% and there was no significant statistical difference between male and female. 2. A lower survival rate was shown in patients under 40 years (42.2%) than over 40 years (75.5%)(P < 0.05). 3. 5-year survival rates of patients with tongue cancer classified by pTNM classification were 87.4% in early stage and 43.3% (P < 0.05). 4. A higher survival rate was seen in patients without cervical lymph node metastasis (82.0% > 44.1%)(P < 0.05). 5. A higher survival rate was seen in patients of tongue cancer with higher differenciation grade (P < 0.05). 6. It is well known that drinking and smoking have great influence on the survival rate of patients of squamous cell carcinoma of tongue. But these was no statistical significance. Conclusion: The overall 5-year survival rate of tongue cancer was 67.0% and it was mostly influenced by factors like age, pTNM stage, cervical lymph node metastasis, differentiation of cancer cell etc.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1971-1975
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• 2014

Background: Tongue cancer is still a major health problem in most developing countries around the world. Statistics shown the number of tongue cancers, especially in early age, to be increasing, with poor survival. Objective: To analyze the characteristic profile of tongue cancer patients in Indonesia as well as the survival rate. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Dharmais National Cancer Hospital by collecting general, clinical, and survival data of tongue cancer patients from medical records for January 2009 to April 2012. Results: Tongue cancer incidence increased year by year. The average age of tongue cancer patients was 47.5 years, and males predominated, accounting for 64.5% of cases. Most patients presented at an advanced stage (69.6%). The histopathology type was squamous cell carcinoma in the vast majoriy (96.8%). The therapies applied were surgery (45.6%), radiation (63.6%) and chemotherapy (57.6%). The survival rate after one year is 60.6% and after two years was 12.1%. In addition, median survival of tongue cancer patients was 20 months (95% confidence interval 9.07-30.9). The significant factor affecting survival was size of tumor with a hazard ratio of 3.18 (95% CI, 1.02-9.93; p 0.046) for largest versus smallest categories. Conclusions: In each year, the number of tongue cancer incidents in Indonesia is increasing. The age of tongue cancer patients in Indonesia is younger compared to other countries. Moreover, the survival rates are not high.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2003

Recently, the occurrence and death rates of cancer have increased rapidly. In oriental medicine, the tongue gives some kind of special physiological information on human body. Oriental medical doctors have used information about the color, degree of wetness and shape of the patient's tongue to determine patient's disease and body condition. This fact leads us that the tongue image is one of the most important clinical data for helping doctor's decision making. It also has significant meaning to cancer patients related with traditional theory of oriental medicine. In diagnosis and treatment of cancer, tongue diagnosis can give some prognosis and change o cancer. It also detect the sign of early stage cancer, but it cannot diagnose the kind of cancer and/or benign or malignant. Nowadays BioTechnology(BT) has developed rapidly, but there are a lot of limits(economy, accuracy, clinical significance, etc). Tongue diagnosis is very economic and practical way of diagnose and has a lot of possibility of development. The need for doctors and it also helps the development of tongue diagnosis related with cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8351-8359
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• 2014

Background: Recent epidemiological data have implicated human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in the pathogenesis of head and neck cancers, especially oropharyngeal cancers. Although, HPV has been detected in varied amounts in persons with oral dysplasia, leukoplakias and malignancies, its involvement in oral tongue carcinogenesis remains ambiguous. Materials and Methods: HPV DNA prevalence was assessed by PCR with formalin fixed paraffin embedded sections (n=167) of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients and the physical status of the HPV16 DNA was assessed by qPCR. Immunohistochemistry was conducted for p16 evaluation. Results: We found the HPV prevalence in tongue cancers to be 51.2%, HPV 16 being present in 85.2% of the positive cases. A notable finding was a very poor concordance between HPV 16 DNA and p16 IHC findings (kappa<0.2). Further molecular classification of patients based on HPV16 DNA prevalence and p16 overexpression showed that patients with tumours showing p16 overexpression had increased hazard of death (HR=2.395; p=0.005) and disease recurrence (HR=2.581; p=0.002) irrespective of their HPV 16 DNA status. Conclusions: Our study has brought out several key facets which can potentially redefine our understanding of tongue cancer tumorigenesis. It has emphatically shown p16 overexpression to be a single important prognostic variable in defining a high risk group and depicting a poorer prognosis, thus highlighting the need for its routine assessment in tongue cancers. Another significant finding was a very poor concordance between p16 expression and HPV infection suggesting that p16 expression should possibly not be used as a surrogate marker for HPV infection in tongue cancers. Interestingly, the prognostic significance of p16 overexpression is different from that reported in oropharyngeal cancers. The mechanism of HPV independent p16 over expression in oral tongue cancers is possibly a distinct entity and needs to be further studied.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.315-322
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• 2003

Background : Important factors to determine treatment method and prognosis of oral cancer are anatomical site, tumor size, metastatic lesion, histologic cell differenciation and microvascular invasion. Anatomical site has great effect to oral cancer patient's survival rate because each site's accessibility and lymph node metastasis is different but this factor was't studied much than other factors. Patients and Methods : 228 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of common primary sites(Mandible, Maxilla, Floor of Mouth and Tongue) in oral cavity who were diagnosed in the Korea Cancer Center Hospital from January 1989 to December 1999, were clinically studied and analyzed on survival rate. Results : 1. Survival rates of each anatomical sites were Tongue(36.8%), Mandible(33.3%), Maxilla(28.7%) and Floor of Mouth(24.5%). Survival rates difference between Tongue and Floor of Mouth has significance(p<0.05). 2. Survival rates for early cancer of each site were Maxilla(100%), Mandible(57.1%), Tongue(54.2%) and Floor of Mouth(46.7%). Survival rates difference between Maxilla and Floor of Mouth has significance(p<0.05). 3. Survival rates by surgery method of each site were Maxilla(60.6%), Tongue(56.9%), Mandible(44.8%) and Floor of Mouth(26.3%). Survival rates difference between Maxilla and Floor of Mouth has significance(p<0.05). 4. Survival rates by radiation or chemo method of each site were Floor of Mouth(23.5%), Mandible(20.0%), Maxilla(9.5%), and Tongue(9.1%). Survival rates difference between each site doesn't have significance(p>0.05). 5. In advance stage, Survival rates by single therapy of each site were Tongue(33.6%), Mandible(23.5%), Floor of Mouth(16.7%), Maxilla(0%), and Survival rates difference between Maxilla and Tongue has significance (p<0.05). Survival rates by combination therapy of each site were Mandible(38.1%), Maxilla(30.0%), Floor of mouth(18.2%), Tongue(12.5%), and Survival rates difference between Mandible and Tongue has significance(p<0.05). Conclusion : Survival rate of tongue is higher than the other sites, early detection of oral cancer can increase survival rate at any site and combination therapy is the most effetive method, especially at maxilla.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3541-3544
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• 2016

Background: As the treatment modalities for oral cancer have been relatively consistent during the last two-decades, this study was conducted to compare survivals of oral cancer patients in Khon Kaen Province before and after the universal coverage scheme (UC) was launched in Thailand. Materials and Methods: The data were retrieved from the population-based cancer registry of Khon Kaen for oral cancer patients diagnosed during 1992-2001 (pre-UC), and 2004-2012 (post-UC). To compare survival of the two cohorts, Kaplan Meier and log rank tests were employed. Results: Of 1,196 patients, 65% were females and the median age was 65 years. The most common primary sites were lip (31.0%), tongue (29.9%), and buccal mucosa (14.6%). The proportion of early stage cancer increased from 20.4 % in pre-UC to 41.3% in post-UC. The overall 5-year survival rate was 36.5% (95% CI =32.6-40.9) for pre-UC and 32.4% (95% CI = 28.8-36.4) for post-UC. The declining survival was mainly due to an increasing proportion of tongue cancer. However, no survival improvement was demonstrated on subgroup analysis of the tongue cancer patients. Conclusions: After the universal coverage scheme had been launched, early diagnosis increased, but no significant gain in survival for oral cancer patients was achieved.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 2008

Purpose: Tongue cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity and the ultimate goal in treatment of the cancer is not only complete excision and meticulous closure of the wound, but also, reconstruction of a demensional and functional tongue. Our study focuses on various factors, such as defect size, extent of tumor, age, application of mandibulectomy or radiotherapy, and their influences on postoperative speech and swallowing function. Methods: Our study was based on 59 patients who underwent tongue cancer operation and reconstruction of the tongue. Speech and swallowing were evaluated according to categories documented by Sultan and Teichgraeber. Patients were classified into 3 groups as partial glossectomy, hemiglossectomy and total glossectomy groups for evaluation. The average age of the patients were 51, and the mean follow-up period was 4 years 2 months. Results: The partial glossectomy group showed statistically relevant results for speech articulation and swallowing abilities compared to the total glossectomy group. In cases of defects involving the mouth floor, the group showed decreased results compared to the group without mouth floor involvement. Increased age showed decreased postoperative results with statistical significance, while mandibulectomy and radiotherapy revealed no statistically significant data. Analysis according to TNM staging resulted in decreased functional result with advanced staging without statistical significance. Conclusion: To summarize the factors influencing the functional outcome in tongue reconstruction, younger patients and early stage cancer with minimal surgical extent revealed more satisfying results while mandibulectomy and radiation did not have influence on our analysis. Addition of various influencing factors and studies with longer follow up periods on our patient groups may provide effective data for more satisfying functional outcomes in the future.