title: Combined modality treatment of advanced cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx.
abstract: From May 1985 to June 1988, 70 evaluable patients with advanced squamous cell cancers of the oral cavity and the oropharynx were treated with preoperative combined radio-chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of 50 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks, combined with concomitant administration of mitomycin C on day 1 (15 mg/m2, i.v. bolus) and 5-fluorouracil during the first 5 days of irradiation (750 mg/m2/24 hours, continuous infusion). Surgery was performed 3 to 5 weeks following irradiation. Treatment tolerance was good and local mucosal reaction was increased, but no major systemic side effects were recorded. At surgery, 3-5 weeks following irradiation, 48.6% of the operation specimens did not contain any histologically detectable residual tumor. Overall survival is 61%, being 69% in T2 and T3, while none of the patients with bone invasion has survived. Median survival is 28, 26, and 9 months in T2, T3 and T4 stages, respectively. Loco-regional relapses have been recorded in 33% of the patients, occurring in 27% of T2, 25% of T3, and 88% of T4 stages. Patients have been spared mutilating radical neck dissection because of combined presurgical treatment without impaired survival or loco-regional relapse rate.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiobiology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dobrowsky
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dobrowsky
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strassl
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gritzmann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scheiber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin; D005472:Fluorouracil