Tonsillar cancer: The Peter MacCallum experience with unilateral and bilateral irradiation. Issue 3 (1st June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Chen; Dutu, Gaelle; Peters, Lester J.; Rischin, Danny; Corry, June
• Is Part Of: Head & neck. Volume 36:Issue 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 317
• Page End: 322
• Publication Date: 2013-06-01
• Subjects: Head -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neck -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Head -- Periodicals; Neck -- Periodicals; Face -- Periodicals; 617.51059
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.23297
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1043-3074

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="hed23297-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>The primary purpose of this study was to review the efficacy of unilateral treatment of lateralized tonsil primaries, in particular whether laterality of the primary is a more powerful determinant of contralateral neck failure than advanced ipsilateral nodal classification.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23297-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A retrospective study of all patients with tonsillar cancer treated with curative intent between January 1990 and December 2002 was performed.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23297-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>There were 167 patients, 76% men, median age 58 years, 86% current or ex‐smokers. The majority of patients (58%) had stage IV disease. Five‐year local, nodal, locoregional, and distant failure rates were 14%, 4%, 18%, and 8%, respectively. Of the 58 patients treated unilaterally, 33% had N2a, N2b, or N3 nodal disease. There were no contralateral nodal failures in the unilaterally treated group.</p> </sec> <sec id="hed23297-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>These results support the potential use of unilateral radiation therapy (RT) for lateralized tonsil primaries even with advanced ipsilateral nodal disease. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. <italic>Head Neck</italic><bold>36</bold>: 317–322, 2014</p> </sec> </abstract>