title: Carcinoma of the soft palate and the posterior oropharyngeal wall.
abstract: Between 1966 and 1984, 14 patients with carcinoma of the soft palate and eight patients with a posterior oropharyngeal wall carcinoma were treated at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. In the soft palate group, the majority of patients (10) had small tumours T1-T2; the median patient delay was 1 month (range 0-5). Eleven patients were treated with radiotherapy and three with surgery, as single treatment modalities. Tumour control was achieved in 10 patients following initial treatment. Five-year results for tumour control and overall survival were 67% and 41%, respectively. In the posterior wall group all patients had advanced tumours (T3-T4), after a median patient delay of 4 months (range 0-6). Six patients were treated with radiotherapy, one with surgery only and one with a combination of these. Following the initial treatment, tumour control was achieved in half of the patients. Five-year tumour control was 50%, and overall survival at 5 years was 38%. In conclusion, the tumours in these two sub-sites of the oropharynx differ significantly in the extent of the primary tumour (P < 0.01), posterior wall tumours being more advanced on admission, after a significantly longer history (P < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mak-Kregar
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Keus
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Balm
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hilgers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate