Objective: To discuss long-term efficacy of preoperative induction chemotherapy(IC) plus surgery± radiotherapy in patients with resectable stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity tongue (SCCOT).Methods: From June 1996 to December 2005, 73 patients with advanced SCCOT were treated with IC followed by surgery ± radiotherapy, at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University.The 5-year overall survival (OS), local control and reasons of treatment failure were analyzed retrospectively.Results: 73 patients aged from 22 to 77 years with untreated, clinical T1-4 N0-2M0 SCCOT underwent IC followed by surgery ± radiotherapy.After IC, 17 patients (23.3%) achieved clinical complete response;44 patients (60.3%) clinical partial response;12 patients (16.4%) no response or progression, and overall response rate was 89.0%(65/77).On final surgical pathology, 14 patients (19.2%) achieved histological complete response;59 patients (80.8%) histological incomplete response.The 5-year OS was 59.8%, local control was 69.9% (51/73).No treatment-associated deaths occurred, and toxicity was modest.Gonclusion:IC plus surgery-l-radiotherapy was a treatment modality that was tolerated with encouraging survival outcome in advanced resectable SCCOT patients.Response rate with this regimen was limited, but the responders were associated with excellent prognosis.