• Floor of mouth: For small T2 lesions, surgery if the tumor is attached to bone and radiotherapy if lesions
involve the tongue. Both surgery and radiotherapy can be used for large T2 lesions. The choice depends on the
expected disability from surgery. For larger lesions, radiotherapy may be used postoperatively.
• Lower gums: Small lesions treated with surgery, sometimes requiring removal of some bone as well as a skin
graft. Radiotherapy has been used, but results are generally not as good as with surgery alone.
• Behind wisdom teeth: Same as Stage I.
Five-Year Survival 90 percent (lip, inside of cheek and lower gums), 70 percent (tongue and floor of mouth)
Stage III
Standard Treatment Surgery and/or radiotherapy is used, depending on the location of the tumor. Chemotherapy before either surgery or radiotherapy (neoadjuvant) has been used to shrink large tumors and improve the possibility of successful treatment with surgery or radiation. Patients with advanced lesions should have radiotherapy to lymph nodes or surgery to remove them.
• Lip: Combination of surgery and radiotherapy. Alternatively, these patients are appropriate candidates for
clinical trials .
• Front of tongue: Radiotherapy (may include implant) for less extensive lesions, and surgery wit
postoperative radiotherapy for more extensive lesions.
