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Histologic tumor regression grades in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after preoperative radiochemotherapy
Author(s) -
Braun O. M.,
Neumeister B.,
Popp W.,
Scherrer R.,
Dobrowsky E.,
Dobrowsky W.,
Rausch E. M.,
Strassl H.,
Krisch K.,
Holzner J. H.
Publication year - 1989
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(19890315)63:6<1097::aid-cncr2820630610>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - medicine , concomitant , radiation therapy , stage (stratigraphy) , epidermoid carcinoma , basal cell , carcinoma , head and neck , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , surgery , head and neck cancer , urology , paleontology , biology
Forty‐one patients with Stage III and IV squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the head and neck were treated preoperatively with mitomycin C and 5‐fluorouracil and concomitant radiotherapy. Operation specimen were examined histologically, the percentage of vital tumor cells and devitalized tumor cells were graduated. The grade of regression was classified according to a four‐stage scale. Tumor regression was evaluated as good (Grades 1, 2) and bad (3, 4) response to combined preoperative therapy. After a follow‐up of 18 to 30 months, 14 of 41 patients have experienced a locoregional recurrence; all these patients were bad responders (Grades 3,4) to preoperative radiochemotherapy. There was a statistically significant correlation between tumor regression grade and probability of survival (P < 0.001). The authors conclude that the prognosis of patients with pretreated SCC of head and neck depends on the histologic grade of tumor regression.