[Tongue cancer: an ongoing problem which needs new therapeutic approaches]

Oral cancer together with oropharyngeal cancer constitutes the tenth most common malignancy in men worldwide. In spite of a general trend of mild decreases in the frequency of oral and pharyngeal cancers, there appears to be an increasing trend in the occurrence of oral tongue cancer (Localized in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue). Furthermore, in recent years, tongue cancer is on the rise in young patients (fifth decade and less). Tongue cancer is the most frequent type of malignancy in the oral cavity and is characterized by remarkable aggressive biological behavior. The 5-year survival rate in patients with tongue cancer has steadily remained lower than 50% during the last 40 years. This is in contrast to the considerable improvement in the survival rates that have been achieved in patients with solid tumors in other parts of the body, due to the introduction of advanced diagnostic means and new treatment modalities. Our recent studies have shown an important role that components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) play in the proliferation, invasion and local and distant spread of tongue cancer, which is not less than that of the cancer cells. The results of these studies suggest the development of new therapeutic modalities in tongue cancer, which should combine anti-cancer and anti-TME agents.