Assessment of the postoperative irradiation effectiveness for improvement local control of squamous cell carcinoma of tongue and floor of the mouth in stages III and IV. STUDY DESIGN: clinical retrospective. MATERIAL AND METHOD: a retrospective case-series of 72 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of tongue and floor of mouth who underwent surgery. The local control rate was assessed in front of stage, surgical margins and postoperative radiotherapy. RESULTS: local recurrences were diagnosed in 28 (38%) patients. Only T stage and lymph node metastases were related to recurrences in the primary site. Control of disease in the primary site was achieved in 80% of pN0 patients and postoperative radiotherapy didn't show any effect in this group. CONCLUSION: advanced local disease without lymph node metastases can be treated with surgery only.
squamous cell carcinoma; tongue; floor mouth; metastases; lymph node; radiotherapy
