This report discusses clinical findings related to the application of localized hyperthermia in a case of advanced lip carcinoma. We used 2450MH_z microwave hyperthermia equipment with a variety of applicators. Localized hyperthermia was applied twice weekly for over 40 minutes at about 43 degrees C. using an HTA-2450-7 applicator, suitable for superficial tumor. The patient was treated with a combination of hyperthermia, chemo-and radiotherapy as pre-operative therapy. Both microscopic and macroscopic examination showed greater anti-tumor effectiveness in that part of the lesion to which hyperthermia has been applied. The patient shows no recurrence or metastasis of the tumor two years and five months after the operation.

View full abstract

High power laser apparatus is often used in the treatment of disease, especially tumors. Various types of laser treatment exist: Excision, coagulation, vaporization, and laserthermia. In the field of surgery and combination therapy for oral tumors, laser use is increasing.
In the area of oral maxillofacial surgery, several fundamental studies have been carried out.
We began to use CO₂ laser apparatus in 1984, YAG-CO₂ laser apparatus in 1985, and Nd-YAG laser apparatus in 1987. In the period from April 1984 to December 1988, we treated 38 oral tumor cases with laser beams. Twenty-five of these patients who were diagnosed as having malignant tumors were studied in this paper.
Histopathologically, 20 patients (80%) were diagnosed as having squamous cell carcinoma. Excision by laser was performed in 18 cases, vaporization by laser in 12 cases, and a combination of both methods was used in 5 cases. In two other cases, the laser was used in radical neck dissections. Twenty-one patients were operated on under local anesthesia and sixteen under general anesthesia. All cases were treated not only by laser surgery but also with chemotherapy and radiation.
Most wounds were not closed but six wounds treated with Nd-YAG laser apparatus were closed with suturing and healed well.
We considered laser surgery to be a useful part of combination therapy for oral malignant tumors.

View full abstract

Pleomorphic adenoma is one of the most common salivary gland tumors. Its incidence is the highest of all tumors occurring in the parotid gland. We encountered a case of pleomorphic adenoma in the left sublingual gland.
The patient, a 37-year-old female, complained of a painless swelling of the oral floor. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed pleomorphic adenoma.
The lesion was surgically excised under general anesthesia. The postoperative course was uneventful with no recurrence after six years.

View full abstract

Verrucous carcinoma is a variant of squamous cell carcinoma. It was first reported by Ackerman in 1948.
We reported 2 cases of oral verrucous carcinoma which had been treated by laser surgery and another case which had been treated by a combination of laser surgery and chemotherapy with peplomycin. Both treatments proved effective.
The data for this paper were taken from 30 cases of oral verrucous carcinoma treated in Japan. Various treatments were used, including surgery, cryosurgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and combinations of these. We believe that the widely accepted surgical approach should be the first choice and that is the case. Radiation treatment is not common because of the frequent occurrence of anaplastic transformations.

View full abstract

Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a benign, inflammatory lesion of the salivary gland characterized by extensive necrosis of glandular tissue with squamous metaplasia. Since it resembles, both clinically and histologically, squamous cells or mucoepidermoid carcinoma, it is often misdiagnosed as malignant tumors. Hewever, it heals spontaneously within a few weeks. For this reason, it must be diagnosed circumspectly to avoid unnecessary treatment resulting from mistaken diagnosis.
A 21 year-old woman complained of a swollen, painful lesion on her left hard palate. Oral examination revealed a 15×9mm swollen lesion with a small ulcer in the left posterior hard palate and a clinically diagnosed inflammation of the palatal gland. Exfoliative cytology showed atypical cells and a biopsy was carried out. Histopathological examination revealed necrotizing sialometaplasia. The lesion healed spontaneously over time without special treatment.

View full abstract

Parosteal osteogenic sarcoma is a rare tumor. It can usually be distinguished from common osteosarcoma because it originates parosteally and generally has a better prognosis. Until now, only 14 cases have been reported in the oral and maxillo-facial region. Recently we experienced a case of parosteal osteogenic sarcoma affecting the mandible of a 52 year old woman. In this report, this case is presented and previously reported cases are reviewed.

View full abstract

Combined chemo- and radiotherapy is able to cure tumors while maintaining proper oral functions, even though the tumor sometimes may not be completely regressive. Residual tumors must usually be resected along with a broader region.
This paper presents a case of advanced gingival cancer which was treated by combined chemo-and radiotherapy, followed by a minimized resection operation only in the primary tumor region. In this case, the therapy was extremely effective but it was suspected that there was still a residual tumor in a small area of the cheek. The tumor was removed in a minimized resection operation. Postoperative pathological examination revealed no residual traces of the tumor. These results suggest that there is a probability of success using minimized operations for advanced gingival cancer, especially among the aged, without impairing oral functions or the patient's general condition.

View full abstract