title: Pharyngeal wall cancer. A reappraisal after comparison of treatment methods.
abstract: We retrospectively examined 89 patients with pharyngeal wall cancer treated in our institution between 1964 and 1981, to compare the results of treatment after low-dose preoperative irradiation and surgery (R + S) with those achieved with radiation therapy alone (RA). Age, sex, and stage of tumor were comparable for the 41 patients who had R + S and the 34 who had RA. Treatment outcome, survival, and tumor and nodal control were better for the R + S treatment group than for the RA treatment group. Patterns of relapse differed for the two treatment methods and suggested that each might complement the other. Low-dose preoperative irradiation and surgery more often controlled the pharyngeal tumor than did RA, while high-dose irradiation more often controlled nodal disease than did low-dose irradiation and surgery. Our experience suggests that surgical treatment combined with high doses of radiation might improve treatment results for pharyngeal wall cancer.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors