Malignant tumours of the oropharynx

An analysis of a series of 127 patients with malignant tumours of the oropharynx is presented. All cases of epidermoid carcinoma were retrospectively classified according to the TNM system. Primary treatment consisted in irradiation in all cases of malignant lymphoma and epidermoid carcinoma. The corrected 5-year survival rate for patients with malignant lymphoma was 53 per cent, and for those with epidermoid carcinoma 40 per cent. In epidermoid carcinoma, 60Co treatment seemed to result in a better prognosis than 250 kV radiation therapy. Both in malignant lymphoma and epidermoid carcinoma, the prognosis was definitely related to the spread to regional lymph nodes.