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Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer in a younger population. Review of literature and experience at Yale
Author(s) -
Son Yung H.,
Kapp Daniel S.
Publication year - 1985
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(19850115)55:2<441::aid-cncr2820550225>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - medicine , cancer , oral cavity , population , general surgery , dentistry , environmental health
Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer in younger adults is a rare entity with an incidence of 2.7% among 1014 patients seen or treated at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale‐New Haven Medical Center between 1958 and 1980. Although there are reports of contrastingly divergent therapeutic experiences, the authors contend that even early stage cancers frequently fail definitive therapy with a rampant course, causing a rapidly fatal outcome. The three‐year actuarial survival was a mere 17% at Yale. The authors speculate that younger adult oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers are possibly related to a genetic disorder or immunodeficiency, and recommend aggressive surgical and radiotherapeutic approaches combined with possible adjuvant immunotherapy.