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LIMITATIONS OF RADIOTHERAPY IN THE DEFINITIVE TREATMENT OF SQUAMOUS CARCINOMA OF THE TONSILLAR FOSSA
Author(s) -
O'Brien Christopher J.,
Castle Geeta K.,
Stevens Graham N.,
Halliday G. Mac,
Donovan John K.,
Lee Kenneth K.,
Packham Nicholas A.,
Peat Maurice J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1992.tb07067.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tonsil , stage (stratigraphy) , radiation therapy , basal cell , survival rate , surgery , carcinoma , fossa , paleontology , biology
Between 1970 and 1990, 104 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tonsil were treated. The median age was 58 years and 80% of patients were males. Distribution among clinical stages was: stage I, 19 patients; stage II, 12 patients; stage III, 23 patients; and stage IV, 48 patients. More than 70% of patients had initial radiotherapy as definitive treatment irrespective of stage, reflecting the treatment philosophy over much of this period. The overall survival rate was 26% at 5 years, with survival being significantly affected by T stage, clinical stage and age. Clinical node status did not significantly affect survival rates. Good local control of T 1 N 0 cancers was achieved with radiotherapy alone, but patients with more advanced cancers did poorly. We have now moved away from a non‐selective policy and use initial surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy in most patients, reserving radiotherapy alone for mainly early tonsil cancers.