title: Long-term results of surgical treatment for advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to review the oncologic and functional outcomes of patients with clinical stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oropharynx submitted to tumor resection and neck dissection with or without postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of medical charts of 256 consecutive patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fatal postoperative complications were registered in 5 patients (1.9%). During follow-up, there were 74 local recurrences (29%), 27 neck recurrences (10.5%), and 19 distant metastases (7.4%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 43.0%. The Cox multivariate model identified pT3 and pT4, pN2 and pN3, and an intense lymphocytic infiltrate as independent prognostic markers for OS. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 54.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment for oropharyngeal carcinoma can be performed with a low-risk of postoperative mortality but with a risk of long-term use of tracheostomy and feeding tubes.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital A C Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil; Head and Neck Surgery Service, Hospital Heliopolis, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia Regina
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bastos de Souza
authors.forename: Clovis Antonio Lopes
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: da Cunha Mercante
authors.forename: Ines Nobuko
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Nishimoto
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brasilino de Carvalho
authors.forename: Luiz Paulo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: oropharynx; prognosis; squamous cell carcinoma; surgical treatment; survival