Is chemoradiation as effective as surgery with postoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced (operable) head and neck cancer? A retrospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether chemoradiation (CX) is as effective as surgery with postoperative radiotherapy (SX) for operable, locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC).


METHODS
A retrospective review of 78 patients with operable stage III or IV cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract who were treated by CX (n = 25) or SX (n = 53) during a 20-year period was undertaken.


RESULTS
Fewer patients relapsed regionally when treated by SX than by CX (p = 0.006). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in local recurrence, distant metastasis, 2-year survival rate, or 5-year survival rate between the two patient groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggesting that CX is not as effective as SX for patients with operable LAHNC calls for a randomized trial comparing CX to SX in such cases.
Ampil
Federico L
FL
Caldito
Gloria
G
Mills
Glenn M
GM
Burton
Gary V
GV
Neupane
Prakash
P
D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies