Combined chemotherapy, cryosurgery, and radiotherapy/surgery for oral cancer

One hundred and twelve patients (95 males, 17 females) with untreated squamous-cell carcinoma of the oral cavity underwent a multidisciplinary treatment.

6-72 months (median 51 months). T1-4N0M0 lesions (tongue, 31 patients; floor, 31 patients; cheek, 17 patients; retromolar, 9 patients) were treated with cryosurgery (T1-2: 1-2 sessions, T3-4: 2-4 sessions) and contemporaneously with (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil)(CMF) (T1-2:2 courses; T3-4: 3 courses). The patients, 15-20 days after the end of cryo-chemotherapy, underwent TCT (T1: 50 Gy on tumour and lymph nodes; T2-3-4: same with an extra dose of 10-15 Gy on the primary lesion). T1-4N1-3M0 patients (tongue: 8, floor: 13, cheek: 2, retromolar: 1) received the same cryotherapy and chemotherapy, followed by surgery (16 widened suprahyoid dissections, 8 conservative laterocervical dissections, 1 radical neck dissection). Overall actuarial survival at six years was 61.9%: T1-4N0M0 (88 patients) 66.6% (T1-2 76.0%; T3-4 56.9%); T1-4N1-3M0 (24 patients) 44.4% (T1-2 66.6%; T3-4 33.3%). Six-year actuarial survival by site was: tongue (39 patients) 79.2% (N0 85.9%); floor (44 patients) 55.2% (N0 57.1%); cheek (19 patients) 74.2% (N0 68.9%); retromolar (10 patients) 0% (N0 0%). Complete remission was reached four months after treatment by 97 patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)