title: [Radiotherapy for 159 patients with carcinoma of the tonsils].
abstract: A series of 159 patients with carcinoma of the tonsil was treated by radiotherapy from Jan. 1970 to Dec. 1980. The overall 5, 10 and 15 year survival rates were 45.3% (72/159), 30.8% (32/104) and 34.8% (8/23). The 5 year survival rate was 62.5% (10/16), 68.9% (31/45), 39.0% (16/41) and 22.8% (12/57) for stages I, II, III and IV. There was no significance difference in the 5 year survival rates between undifferentiated (38/86, 44.2%) and squamous cell carcinomas (34/70, 48.6%). The majority of these patients received a dose of 50-70 Gy/6-8 weeks. Clinical stage and metastatic lymph node's size are the main factors influencing prognosis. The chief causes of failure: recurrence and distant metastasis totaled 73.2%, of which 11.3% metastasized into the abdomen. The authors believe that a large anterior tangential portal with a high upper margin is necessary to include the big metastasis in the subgastric lymph nodes on the homolateral neck region.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Cancer Institute, Nanjing.
authors.forename: Q C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: D Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes