Radical Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancer

Ban, Sung Beom; Kim, Chul Young; Choi, Myung Sun; Suh, Won Hyuck

Abstract

Sixty patients with head and neck carcinoma were studied retrospectively to assess the impact of treatment on survival and local control rate by stage in the Dept of Radiation Therapy, Korea University Had Wha Hospital between March 1981 and March 1986. Prior to definite radiotherapy, patients were evaluated by physical examination and radiologic studies including hest, paryngogram and CT scan and then these patients were grouped according to the American Joint Committee(AJC) staging system. They were Treated with RT alone or postoperative irradiation to the dose of 7,200 cGy/8 weeks and 6,000 cGy/7 weeks respectively. The results were obtained and as follows; 1. overall male to female sex ratio was 3.6:1. The peak age of patients with head and neck cancer was 6th decade. 2. In all patients treated by RT, the ratio of squamous cell carcinoma to non-squamous cell carcinoma was 3.5:1 (60/77 patients). 3. The incidence according to the anatomic site of primary tumor was 22 cases in the larynx, 12 cases in PNS, 7 cases in nasopharynx, 6 cases in oropharynx, and 3 cases in hypopharynx. 4. According to AJC staging system, 4 cases were Stage I, 7 in Stage II, 19 in Stage III and 27 in Stage IV. 5. The overall incidence of cervical lymph node metastases was 43% and subdigatric and submaxillary triangle lymph nodes were the most frequent site of metastases. 6. Local control was achieved in 48% of patients treated by radio-therapy. 7. The lung was the most common site for distant metastases, comprising 4 cases among 7 cases in which distant metastases occurred. 8. The overall estimated 5-year survival rate was 43% in the head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy by life-table analysis.