Modular anatomic approach to oral tongue carcinoma: functional outcomes and quality of life

The purpose of this study is to present the long-term functional swallowing outcomes of various surgical approaches to oral tongue/floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma (OTFOMSCC) according to a modular and compartment-based concept previously described elsewhere.

A retrospective study was conducted on patients undergoing surgery for OTFOMSCC from January 2017 to April 2023 in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the Hospital of Bolzano. Functional swallowing outcomes and quality of life (QoL) were assessed through the administration of a scale and questionnaires between 6 months and 1 year postoperatively or after the end of adjuvant therapy, stratifying the results according to the surgical technique used.

A total of 92 patients with OTFOMSCC were enrolled: 44 patients underwent transoral anatomically guided surgery (TAGS) for early-stage tumours, and 48 underwent major surgery for advanced stages. Among the latter 48 patients: 35 underwent compartment tongue surgery (CTS), 3 underwent extended glossectomies (EG) Type A, 6 underwent EG Type B, and 4 underwent EG Type C. After TAGS, all patients resumed oral feeding for all consistencies. In the CTS group, only one patient faced challenges with pure liquids, yet all achieved the target of consuming a semisolid and semiliquid diet. EG exhibited a noticeable decline in performance from Type A to total glossectomy (Type C).

Following an anatomically-guided approach to the resection of OTFOMSCC allows the surgery to be modulated on the structures involved by the tumour, thus achieving optimal oncological results, while maintaining the possibility to predict functional outcomes and postoperative QoL.