[Significance of autopsy in patients with head and neck cancer]

Nowadays, the morphological assessment of samples obtained from living patients has a greater importance than the scientific knowledge which is gained by autopsy. Therefore, the aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of causes of death in patients with head and neck cancer.

The autopsy rate, clinical parameters of oncologic patients as well as autopsy findings like lethal complications, distant metastases and second primary tumors were retrospectively analyzed.

From 1968 to 2007 in 91 patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck an autopsy was performed. In these 39 years an autopsy was performed in 45.9% of dead oncologic patients. Autopsy findings revealed distant metastases in 46.2% and second primary tumors in 17.6% of the patients. 49.5% of the patients died from pneumonia, 20.9% from tumor bleeding and 10% from progressive cachexia.

The study confirms the global trend of a decline in autopsy numbers in the last 3 decades. However, as an important instrument of quality assurance autopsies continue to play an essential and indispensable role in medical research.