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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Multi-photon Imaging of Tumor Cell Invasion in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: July 25, 2011
Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in young patients: a matched-pair analysis
P L Friedlander1, S P Schantz, A R Shaha
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Background:
Tongue cancer is seen with increasing frequency in young individuals. There is controversy concerning the clinical course and outcome for oral tongue cancer in young patients.
Methods:
A retrospective review of 36 patients under 40 years of age with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was performed. These patients were matched to an older population. The 5-year disease-free survival; rates of local, regional, and distant failure; and rate of second primary tumor were determined for both populations.
Results:
The 5-year disease-free survival for the young patients was 62% versus 69% in the older population (p = .30). Ten of 36 (28%) of younger patients recurred locally versus five of 36 (14%) of the older patients (p = .11). Nine of 36 (25%) younger patients recurred regionally in the younger group versus six of 36 (17%) patients in the older group (p = .25). Sixteen of 36 (44%) of the younger patients had locoregional failure versus eight of 36 (22%) of the older patients (p < .05). The rates of metastatic disease and second primary lesions were similar in both populations.
Conclusions:
In this series, younger patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue had a higher rate of locoregional recurrence rate than did older patients. This did not translate into a survival difference.
