Relapse patterns and related prognostic factors in patients with mobile tongue cancer treated with postoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess prognostic factors and patterns of relapse in patients with oral tongue cancer treated by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2005, 65 patients with stage II-IV oral tongue cancer were treated with postoperative adjuvant RT at our institution. The influence of multiple patient- and treatment-related factors on local and regional control, and overall survival (OS), locoregional failure- free survival (LRFFS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated. Median patient follow-up was 74 months. RESULTS: Five-year disease-free survival (DFS), LRFFS and CSS rates were 56, 60 and 58%, respectively. During the study period 27 (41.5%) patients had locoregional failures. Seventeen of the recurrences were in the primary tumor region, 4 in the neck, 6 in both regions. Most of the local failures occurred in the first year (median 13 months, range 5-15). Gender, T stage, stage (AJCC TN stage), surgical margin, localization of tumor, and hemoglobin level had predictive value for improved local-regional control in univariate analysis. In total, 35 deaths occurred: 28 patients died of progressive disease, one patient died due to another primary tumor (esophageal cancer) and 6 patients died of other causes. CONCLUSION: Local failure was the most important problem concerning the final outcome. High local recurrence rates and poor survival rates are important issues in the management of oral tongue cancer. Further strategies should be directed to enhancing cure rates.

Wavelet transform in the time-frequency analysis of patients with articulation disorders.

Spectral analysis of the human voice is a frequently used digital analysis method in the diagnosis, the planning and follow-up of the treatment of speech disorders. In the classical spectral analysis method, the principals of Joseph Fourier are used. This is called "Fourier Transform" and it accepts that all signals are formed of the synthesis of many sinusoïdal formed signals. In recent years a new transform method called "wavelet transform" accepts the complex signals formed of small signal particles called "wavelets" and it is considered that this transform will solve the documented problems of the "Fourier Transform". By using the appropriate wavelet, this transform can be used as an alternative to the Fourier transform. In this study, the patients with an articulation disorder of the "s" sound were evaluated before and after the phoniatric reeducation by using both the transform methods, and the results obtained are discussed.

[A computer-assisted patient databank for the ENT field]. / Eine computergestützte Patientendatenbank für den HNO-Bereich.

In this study, a patient database program was prepared for patients admitted to the ENT Department of Ege University Hospital, Izmir. The algorithm of the program was created by using dBASE IV. In order to develop a patient database, a careful preparation and running stage had to be accomplished. However, the most important factor was proper maintenance. The greatest problem during the maintenance stage was compliance of the doctors or secretaries using the program. This was overcome by choosing or making a user-friendly, flexible, practical and beneficial patient database program. The study also showed that doctors could make their own patient databases and use them efficiently if they are interested in computers.