Epidemiology and natural history of malignant neoplasms of the tongue in the province of Trieste
Silvestri, F.; Bussani, R.; Giarelli, L.
Pathologica 80(1070): 649-657
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-2983 PMID: 3249648 Document Number: 324112
From 1977 to 1986, 129 malignant neoplasms of the tongue were diagnosed by examining the records of autopsies and biopsies performed at the Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology of the University of Trieste. The crude incidence rate of this neoplasia in the province is 7.28 per hundred thousand for males and 2.39 per hundred thousand for females. The world standardized incidence is more or less the same as in more industrialized countries. Over 90% of the tongue tumors were of the squamous type and posterior third neoplasms had a worse prognosis than those of anterior two thirds. At first histological diagnosis 12/15 subjects with malignancies of the base presented neck nodes and/or infiltrative pheonomena. In 64 out of 70 autopsied subjects, local infiltration and/or distant metastases were found. Early detection, patients education and life-long follow up are required in an effort to achieve control or cure of tongue cancer.