Locoregional recurrence of tongue cancer is higher than that of other sites of the oral cavity. Locoregional control has shown improvement over the past 20 years, however, a high rate of recurrence and second primary tumor occurrence is still frequently reported. Leukoplakia is a clinical term, which describes a whitish lesion of the oral cavity. Clinicopathologic features may range from hyperkeratosis to malignancy. Because of its diverse pathologic characteristics, management of this lesion for diagnosis, treatment planning, establishment of a clear surgical margin, and periodic follow-up is difficult. We report on a case of successfully treated tongue cancer which developed from leukoplakia over 10 years. Periodic follow-up strategy and surgical planning are most important to management of locoregional recurrence.