Cryosurgery in 50 cases of tongue carcinoma

From March 1975 to October 1985, 50 patients with primary tongue carcinoma were treated by cryosurgery. Forty-seven had squamous cell carcinoma, and 3 had other types of malignant tumors. The TNM clinical classification showed 12 patients with T1 lesions, 35 with T2, and 3 with T3. All patients were treated by cryosurgery in the outpatient clinic under local anesthesia. Three weeks after the primary tumors were controlled cryosurgically, 48 patients underwent radical neck dissections. All patients were observed for 3 to 10 years. After cryosurgery, the primary lesion disappeared in 45 (90%) patients; 5 were not controlled. The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 71.9% (23/32) and 72.3% (13/18), respectively. The recurrence rate in this series was 10% (5/50). Cryosurgery for tongue carcinoma was shown to be effective and safe.