Prognostic value of regional metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and floor of mouth

The presence of metastatic nodes is a survival-limiting factor for patients with mouth tumors.ObjectiveTo evaluate the causes of treatment failure in carcinomas of the tongue and floor of themouth due to staging.MethodThis study included 365 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth treated from 1978 to 2007; 48 were staged as T1, 156 as T2, 98 as T3, and 63 as T4, of which 193 were pNo and 172 pN+.ResultsAmong the pN+ cases, 17/46 (36.9%) of the patients not treated with radiation therapy had relapsing tumors, against 46/126 (36.5 %) of the patients who underwent radiation therapy. Success rates in the group of subjects submitted to salvage procedures were 16/51 (31.3%) for pN0 patients and 3/77 (3.9%) for pN+ patients.ConclusionSalvage procedure success and survival rates are lower for pN+ patients; pN+ individuals also have more relapsing local disease.