RESULTS OF TREATMENT OF CARCINOMA OF THE BASE OF THE TONGUE, THE UCSF EXPERIENCE, 1957-1976

Between January 1957 and October 1976, 62 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue were treated at the University of California at San Francisco. Patients were staged retrospectively according to the American Joint Committee for Cancer Staging and End Results Reporting 1977 Staging System. All 7 patients with T1 disease achieved local control; 16 of 25 patients with T2 disease; 8 of 23 patients with T3 disease and 1 of 7 patients with T4 disease achieved local control. 25 of the 54 patients who were treated with external radiation alone or adjuvant chemotherapy achieved control of the primary. Among patients who were treated with external radiation plus surgery or external radiation plus interstitial implant, 8 of 9 achieved local control. The primary site was the major site of failure. The majority of those who failed were not suitable for salvage therapy. External radiation alone was not adequate for control of the primary. The addition of surgery, in selected patients, or interstitial therapy adds to the local control rates. © 1979.