From April 1971 to October 1984, 71 patients with T1 or T2
tumors of the faucial arch were treated according to the following protocol: Telecobalt
therapy to the primary site and to the neck nodes to a dose of 45 Gy.
Brachytherapy to the primary site to a dose of 25 to 30 Gy using
iridium 192. For node positive patients, boost dose to involved neck nodes with electrons, or
radical neck dissection. Seven patients with T1N0
tumors were treated exclusively by 60 Gy
iridium implantation. The crude disease free survival is 66% for the group of patients with
tumors of the tonsillar region and 41% for those with
tumors of the soft palate or uvula. Local control of tonsillar
tumors was 98% while that of
tumors of the soft palate was 85%. Regional control was 98% for the N0 group and 87% for the N1-3 group. Five cases of soft tissue ulceration were observed, all of which healed spontaneously within a few months. Less salivary impairment was seen than
after treatment by external irradiation alone. While these promising results have encouraged the use of this protocol, the introduction of the
plastic tube technique has expanded the indications to include almost all T1 and T2
tumors of the faucial arch without obvious extension to the base of tongue or retromolar trigone.