title: Post-operative radiation therapy for advanced-stage oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: Between 1985 and 1999, 43 patients with locally-advanced, resectable oropharyngeal cancer were treated with combined surgery and post-operative radiation therapy (RT) at Oregon Health and Science University. Five patients (12 per cent) had Stage III disease and 38 patients (88 per cent) had Stage IV disease. All patients had gross total resections of the primary tumour. Thirty-seven patients had neck dissections for regional disease. RT consisted of a mean tumour-bed dose of 63.0 Gy delivered in 1.8-2.0 Gy fractions over a mean of 49 days. At three- and five-years, the actuarial local control was 96 per cent and the actuarial local/regional control was 80 per cent. The three- and five-year actuarial rates of distant metastases were 41 per cent and 46 per cent, respectively. The actuarial overall survival at three- and five-years was 41 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively. The actuarial rates of progression-free survival were 49 per cent at three-years and 45 per cent at five years. Combined surgery and post-operative RT for advanced-stage oropharyngeal cancer results in excellent local/regional control. This particular group of patients experienced a high-rate of developing distant metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201-3098, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panwala
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holland
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure