Preoperative radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oropharynx: prognostic factors for locoregional control and survival.
BACKGROUND
To assess the role of preoperative irradiation and surgery in patients with oropharyneal cancer.


METHODS
Seventy-five patients were treated with radiotherapy alone or followed by surgery. The stage distribution was stage II in 15 patients, stage III in 16 patients, stage IVA in 38 patients and stage IVB in 6 patients.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients were treated with radiotherapy alone and the remaining 40 underwent definitive surgery after radiation therapy. In the multivariate analysis, both good Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and complete response (CR) after radiation therapy had positive impact on locoregional control and survival. Overall survival at 5 years was 65% and 20% for KPS > or = 90% and KPS < 90%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Corresponding values for CR and non-CR were 80% and 35%, respectively (p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that the KPS and complete response after radiation therapy were very sensitive surrogates for locoregional control and survival for cancer of the oropharynx.
Uno
Takashi
T
Department of Radiation Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuou-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. unotakas@ho.chiba-u.ac.jp
Yasuda
Shigeo
S
Nakano
Koichi
K
Aruga
Takashi
T
Isobe
Koichi
K
Kawakami
Hiroyuki
H
Ueno
Naoyuki
N
Kawata
Tetsuya
T
Numata
Tsutomu
T
Nagata
Hiroshi
H
Okamoto
Yoshitaka
Y
Ito
Hisao
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome