Application of low temperature radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction in patients with tongue cancer / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

ABSTRACT

[ABSTRACT]OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of low temperature radiofrequency ablation on tongue cancer in early stage (<2 cm T1 stage) .METHODS High differentiated tongue squamous cell carcinoma(<2 cm T1 stage) were removed with radiofrequency ablation in 11 patients and with high-frequency electrotome in 20 patients from 2009 to 2014 in our hospital. All the patients underwent elective neck dissection(I,Ⅱ,Ⅲ regions). Intraoperative blood loss, VAS ratings of post-operative pain, post-operative bleeding rate and the recurrence rate of tongue cancer or lymph node metastasis were compared between the two groups.RESULTSIn the radiofrequency ablation group, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 13.82±7.40ml, the VAS ratings of post-operative pain were 3.8±1.3 (day 1), 2.5±0.7 (day 3) and 1.8±0.6(day 5), post-operation bleeding occurred in one case, and lymph node metastasis occurred in one case at 6 month after operation. In the high-frequency electrotome group, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 40.55±12.03ml, the VAS ratings of post-operative pain were 6.8±1.3(day 1), 4.4±1.1(day 3) and 2.3±0.7(day 5), post-operation bleeding occurred in one case, and lymph node metastasis occurred in 3 cases at 6 month to one year after operation. The intraoperative blood loss and post-operative pain in radiofrequency ablation group were significantly lower and less than that in the high-frequency electrotome group.CONCLUSIONRadiofrequency ablation is a promising method for early stage tongue cancer with less blood loss, invasiveness and complications.