title: Preoperative radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oropharynx: prognostic factors for locoregional control and survival.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aruga
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: 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