Conventional transoral surgery for stage I–II squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsillar region

Background The purpose of this study was to review the results of conventional transoral resection and neck dissection for stage I to II squamous carcinoma of the tonsillar region. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 65 patients (stage I, 21 patients; stage II, 44 patients). Induction chemotherapy and postoperative radiation therapy (RT) were administered in 76.9% and 12.3%, respectively, of these cases. Results The postoperative course was uneventful in 96.9% of patients. Five‐year actuarial estimates for local recurrence, nodal recurrence, distant metastasis, and survival were 0% to 7.6%, 0% to 7.8%, 0% to 7.3%, and 70.8% to 71.5% for patients with T1 to T2 carcinoma, respectively. Contralateral and retropharyngeal recurrence occurred in only 1 patient. Conclusion Conventional transoral resection with ipsilateral neck dissection provides an alternative approach for patients with stage I to II squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tonsillar region. A primary surgical approach spares the use of radiotherapy to eliminate late effects and to permit its use for subsequent management of metachronous head and neck second primary cancer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2013