[Treatment results of advanced tonsillar tumors]

The authors present 99 patients irradiated for a tonsillar carcinoma. 41 patients were primarily irradiated and 52 patients postoperatively. Radiotherapy was combined with cytostatic chemotherapy in six cases. Most of the cases treated were advanced tumors: 76 patients with T3/T4 tumors. 52% out of the 23 patients with T1/T2 tumors survived five years and 45% ten years; only 26% of the patients with T3 tumors and 15% of those with T4 tumors survived five years. The prognosis was significantly influenced by the lymph node state: whereas 75% of the patients with N0 tumors survived five years, this rate is reduced to 21% in case of lymph node state N3. 22 out of the 34 recurrences were situated in the tumor region, 12 in lymph nodes. 94% of recurrences became evident during the first two years after the end of treatment.