treatment results and epidemiologic factors in oral tongue cancer: analysis of 110 patients in cancer institute of tehran

background : tongue cancer is one of the most common cancers of the oral cavity, excluding lip, and the median age of the patients is approximately 60 years. methods : treatment results of a total of 110 patients with oral tongue cancer admitted to cancer institute of tehran university between1999-2003 were retrospectively analyzed. the patients were treated by surgery or radiotherapy or chemotherapy in a curative setting. results : the median age at the time of first visit was 67 years (range 27-91years).51 patients (46.4%) were female and 59 (53.6%) were male. primary treatment was surgery in 86 patients (78.2%), radiotherapy alone in 12 patients (10.9%), chemo radiation in 3 patients (2.7%) and chemotherapy (as neo adjuvant therapy) in 8 patients (7.3%). median dose of radiation in patients who received radiotherapy was 6000cgy in the range of (5000-7500 cgy). median of follow-up of patients was 10 months in range of (1-78) months. conclusion: local and loco-regional recurrence remains a major clinical problem in oral cavity tumors. additional studies and detailed analysis of the selection criteria and treatment outcomes across trials are needed to define the best treatment modalities.