Since 2006, we have performed minimal invasive resection combined with biopsy (MIRB) or minimal invasive resection (MIR), which we devised as conservative surgery for patients with tongue cancer who were responsive to intra-arterial chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and peplomycin combined with intravenous chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (TCP intra-arterial and 5-FU intra-venous chemotherapy). In this report, we discuss the validity of the resection method. This study included 21 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue who underwent TCP intra-arterial and 5-FU intravenous chemotherapy alone via the superficial temporal artery prior to surgery. MIRB was performed in clinical CR patients, and MIR was performed in clinical PR patients.
Evaluation of the therapeutic effects revealed clinical CR in 15 patients (71%) and PR in 6 (29%). Pathological CR was achieved in 10 of the 15 clinical CR patients, and the carcinoma remained histologically in the other 11 patients. In 2 patients (10%), recurrence at the primary lesion was observed, but this event was not related to the surgical margin.
This chemotherapy for tongue cancer is expected to provide a radical cure with high probability when combined with MIRB, though its single use involves the risk of the carcinoma remaining histologically even in clinical CR patients. In addition, the present study results suggest that MIR is feasible even in PR patients.