Radiotherapy for tongue cancer in young adults less than 40 years

Purpose/Objective: Radiotherapy for tongue cancer in young adults less than 40 years is studied, retrospectively. Some reports say young tongue cancer patient has worse prognosis. We investigate treatment results of them treated in our department, compared with elder patients. Materials and Methods: Our department registered 1289 patients with tongue cancer during 26 years between Jan. 1967 and Dec. 1992. One hundred and eighty-eight patients were under 40 years old. One hundred and forty-eight patients were primarily treated by radiotherapy. Follow-up terms are among 2 and 25 years (median; 15 years). They consisted of 99 males and 49 females. They were divided into 3 age groups, 3 teenagers, 39 twenties, and 106 thirties. The youngest was 18 years old. T and N categories were T1: 33, T2: 77, T3: 34, T4: 4, N0: 111, N1: 25, N2: 4, and N3: 8 patients, respectively. One hundred and twenty patients were treated only with radiotherapy. Twenty-four and 4 patients were treated with chemotherapy and surgery adding to radiotherapy respectively. Radiotherapy consisted of 29 external, 60 brachytherapy, and 59 both. One hundred and nineteen brachytherapies consisted of Ir: 66, Ra: 50, Ir+Ra: 1, and Au: 2. Eighty-one patients with T1 or2N0M0 treated only by radiotherapy were compared with the similar 454 patients more and equal to 40 years old. Results: The 5-and 10-year survival rates of 148 patients were 69% and 65%, respectively. The 5-and 10-year local control rates were 77% and 76%, respectively. The 5-year survival rates of T1, T2, T3, and T4 patients were 90%, 70%, 50%, and 43%, respectively. The corresponding 10-year survival rates were 81%, 66%, 50%, and 43%, respectively. The 5-year local control rates were 87%, 79%, 71%, and 25%, respectively. With respect to T1 or 2N0M0 patients, the 5-and 10-year local control rates were 80% and 75% under 40 years old, 77% and 73% over 40 years old patients. (p=0.99) The 5-and 10-year cause-specific survival rates were 79% and 72% under 40 years old, 80% and 75% over 40 years old patients. (p=0.39) Conclusion: The treatment results of tongue cancer under 40 years old are not worse than elder patients