[Problems of tongue neoplasms in the light of personal observations]

Due to unfavourable local and general conditions, the treatment of carcinoma of the tongue still yields unsatisfactory results. The authors ascertained that 101 patients with carcinoma of the tongue (68 males and 37 females), having an average age of 65.2 years, had been treated at their clinic within a period of 27 years (1948--1974). Only 21% of them survived five years. In this connexion, certain questions, which are essential in the authors' opinion, are discussed. Furthermore, the patients are subdivided with regard to different aspects.