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Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil in young adults
Author(s) -
Johnston William D.,
Byers Robert M.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197702)39:2<632::aid-cncr2820390239>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - medicine , tonsil , radiation therapy , basal cell , metastasis , young adult , distant metastasis , carcinoma , surgery , cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil is rare in people under 40 years of age. Only 11 cases have been treated at the M. D. Anderson Hospital since 1944. Their 5‐year survival was decreased (14%) when compared to the total group of patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil (48%). Young adults had higher clinical staging than the total group. Ninety‐one percent of the young patients had neck nodal metastasis, with 55% staged N 3 . Of the entire group, 76% had neck nodal metastasis with 23% staged N 3 . Case histories indicate a lack of suspicion of tonsillar cancer on the part of patients and physicians. The average total delay from symptoms to diagnosis was 11 months. Response rates to radiotherapy alone were excellent (no failures) in patients with staging T 1 , T 2 ) T 2 , N 0 , and N 1 . However, five (45%) of the 11 young patients had T 3 or T 4 primaries and all died, four with regional failure. Six of the 11 young patients had N 3 staging and five of these died, all with regional failure except one. Planned combined treatment should be used more frequently in young adults with high staging.