Clinical study of orapharyngeal cancer

A clinical study of 18 patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, Yamaguchi University, from 1979 through 1985, was performed. 1. The male to female ratio was seventeen to one, and the majority of the patients was in 50 and 70 years of age. The average age wa 62.8 years. 2. The most common initial symptoms were sore throat and swallowing pain. 3. The primary lesion was located in the lateral wall in 11 patients (61.1%), the superior wall in 4 (22.2%), the anterior wall in 3 (16.7%), and no patients in the posterior wall. 4. Histopathologically, 15 patients (83.3%) were squamous cell carcinoma. 5. According to TNM classification (UICC, 1978), one patient (5.5%) was in stage IV. 6. 10 patients (55.6%) were treated with combination of external irradiation and chemotherapy, and 7 patients (38.9%) with combination of external irradiation, chemotherapy and operation, one patient (5.5%) with operation alone. 8 patients were performed the operation. In these patients, there were 5 patients of radical neck dissection and 6patients of reconstrucive operation. 7. The 3-year cumulative survival rate was 41.5%. Also, 0% on the patients underwent external irradiation and chemotherapy, 84.6% on the patients underwent external irradiation, chemotherapy and operation, and 100% on the patient underwent operation alone. The prognosis of the patients which was performed operation was very good on this clinical study. Analysis of this result supports the recommendation that multidisciplinary treatment centerd on surgical treatment should be used from now on.