[Follow-up surgery for carcinoma of the tonsil (author's transl)]

This study involves the frequency, techniques and results of follow-up surgery for carcinoma of the tonsil treated by transcutaneous radiotherapy. Local or lymph node failures affect 65% of patients treated by radiation. Follow-up surgery was used in 86% of these failures. After reviewing the various techniques and their oncological results, the authors discuss the best timing for follow-up surgery. They compar their results of surgery in the case of sub-total treatment, surgery for recurrences and routine surgery two months after the end of transcutaneous irradiation. The results are in favour of routine surgery. If it is accepted, since this point is open to discussion, that radiotherapy remains the appropriate initial, and sometimes adequate, treatment for carcinoma of the tonsil, the frequency of local and lymph node recurrences should lead to the indication, in certain cases, for complementary surgical therapy. This routine additional surgical treatment should be discussed in the context of the initial protocol of the treatment of a carcinoma of the tonsil.