Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil managed by conventional surgery and postoperative radiation.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The purpose of this study was to report the long-term outcome of patients with squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the tonsil managed by surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).

METHODS:

Eighty-eight patients treated between 1985 and 2005 were analyzed. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors predictive of outcome were determined by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS:

Forty-eight percent of patients had T3 to T4 disease and 75% had a positive neck. Five-year OS, DSS, and RFS were 66%, 82%, and 80%, respectively. The status of the neck was not predictive of outcome (DSS 80% for N0 vs 82% for N+; p = .97). Lymphovascular invasion was an independent predictor of OS, DSS, and RFS on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION:

Lymphovascular invasion but not pathological stage of the neck is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with tonsillar SCC.

• Authors: Rahmatullah Rahmati, Snjezana Dogan, Owen Pyke, Frank Palmer, Mahmoud Awad, Nancy Lee, Dennis H Kraus, Jatin P Shah, Snehal G Patel, Ian Ganly
• Journal: Head & neck (Head Neck) Vol. 37 Issue 6 Pg. 800-7 (Jun 2015) ISSN: 1097-0347 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24616252 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics

• Analysis of Variance
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (mortality, pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Cohort Studies
• Confidence Intervals
• Disease-Free Survival
• Female
• Humans
• Lymph Nodes (pathology, surgery)
• Male
• Multivariate Analysis
• Neoplasm Invasiveness (pathology)
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prognosis
• Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment
• Survival Analysis
• Tonsillar Neoplasms (mortality, pathology, radiotherapy, surgery)
• Tonsillectomy (methods)
• Treatment Outcome