Pharyngeal wall cancer. A reappraisal after comparison of treatment methods

We retrospectively examined 89 patients with pharyngeal wall cancer treated in our institution between 1964 and 1981, to compare the results of treatment after low-dose preoperative irradiation and surgery (R + S) with those achieved with radiation therapy alone (RA). Age, sex, and stage of tumor were comparable for the 41 patients who had R + S and the 34 who had RA. Treatment outcome, survival, and tumor and nodal control were better for the R + S treatment group than for the RA treatment group. Patterns of relapse differed for the two treatment methods and suggested that each might complement the other. Low-dose preoperative irradiation and surgery more often controlled the pharyngeal tumor than did RA, while high-dose irradiation more often controlled nodal disease than did low-dose irradiation and surgery. Our experience suggests that surgical treatment combined with high doses of radiation might improve treatment results for pharyngeal wall cancer.