[Multidisciplinary treatment of malignant head and neck tumors--cryosurgery]

Recently many kinds of the new therapeutic methods have been developed by the modern engineering. (Cryosurgery, Laser Surgery, Ultrasonic Aspiration Surgery, Microwave Surgery, Hyperthermia, etc.) These therapeutic methods have many good points, but also have some demerits. There are no almighty methods. So we must grasp the characters of these methods. On the other hand, the head and neck is anatomically, a complicated region. It is composed of important musculoskeletal and neurovascular structures. Surgical resection of these structures often results in significant functional and cosmetic impairment. These new therapeutic methods can solve this problem. Cryosurgery is the first one of these therapeutic methods. Author has been established the five conditions in which cryosurgery can be used as a single method of treatment for cancer. Examination and comparison between these methods have been performed as 14 points in both clinical and experimental aspects. Many kinds of the combined therapy were effectively used. In addition to traditional surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, author used those new therapies as multidisciplinary treatment. The treatment of the maxillary sinus cancer is the typical case.