[Maxillary cancer. A retrospective study of 239 cases (author's transl)]

A study of the distribution of these cancers demonstrated that they were mainly epidermoid carcinomas (144 cases), cylindromas (38 cases), and sarcomas. The series included 58% of male patients, but the percentage of women is high because of the predominance of muco-epidermoid epitheliomas and hematosarcomas in female patients. Age distribution was identical for both sexes. The period between the first sign and the diagnosis varied according to the histological type (5 months for epidermoid carcinoma, 10 months for the cylindromas, and 28 months for muco-epidermoid epitheliomas). The initial examination revealed the presence of palpable glands in 40% of the cases with epidermoid cancer of the gums, as against 25% of those with facial epidermoid carcinomas. Survival rate after 5 years was 33% for epidermoid cancer, 72% for cylindromas, and 15% for muco-epidermoid epitheliomas. For epidermoid carcinomas, survival was related to their size (56% for T1, 52% for T2, 30% for T3, and 16% for T4). No significant differences in relation to the site of the lesion were found. The incidence of glandular invasion is of the greatest importance. All N3 cases died within 30 months. In fact, two categories of patients can be conveniently distinguished; those with T1, T2, T3, NO who have an overall mean survival rate of 68% after two years, and all the other cases with a mean survival rate of 28%.