Chemoradiotherapy for T1/T2 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

The treatment strategy for T1/T2 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has been controversial. To assess appropriate therapies including surgical treatment and (chemo) radiotherapy ((C) RT), we conducted a retrospective chart review of 58 squamous cell carcinomas of oropharynx in 55 cases treated by (C) RT. These cases included 48 males and 7 females, aged from 38 to 85 years (median age: 68 years old). The primary sites included the upper wall in 3 cases, the anterior wall in 8 cases, the lateral wall in 46 cases and the posterior wall in 1 case, respectively. The disease specific 3-year survival rates of patients with stage I, II, III and IVa tumors were 59.3%, 75.4%, 71.4% and 78.6%, respectively. There were no statistical differences between these survival rates. We also found no statistical differences between the survival rates of patients classified according to their primary sites. However, we could emphasize the benefit of (C) RT in T2N0 cases. Furthermore, we conclude that the smoking was found to portray poor prognostic factor in groups of oropharyngeal cancer patients treated by (C) RT. (author)