Postoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: The role of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced colon cancer is not well documented. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients who underwent a complete resection of B2-C colon cancer received postoperative radiotherapy. Twenty-eight patients received < or = 45 Gy; 50 patients received 50-55 Gy. Twenty-seven patients received adjuvant fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. All patients were followed for a minimum of 3 years; no patients were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: The overall local control rate was 88%. The 5-year actuarial rate of local control was 96% after 50-55 Gy postoperative radiotherapy compared with 76% after < 50 Gy (p = 0.0095). Multivariate analysis of local control showed that only radiotherapy dose significantly influenced this end point. Cause-specific survival rates at 5 years were B2, 67%; B3, 90%; C1, 100%; C2, 61%; C3, 36%; and overall, 63%. Multivariate analysis of cause-specific survival showed that only stage significantly influenced this end point. Bowel obstruction caused by adhesions developed in three patients and required a laparotomy; radiation-induced sarcoma developed in one additional patient. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative radiotherapy appears to reduce the risk of local recurrence in patients with locally advanced colon cancer. The optimal dose is probably 50-55 Gy at 1.8 Gy per fraction. Postoperative radiotherapy may improve cause-specific survival for patients with stages B3 and C2 cancers.

Retropharyngeal adenopathy as a predictor of outcome in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Little information about the incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy and its impact on prognosis has been published. METHODS: For 774 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or supraglottic larynx, pretreatment CT and, in selected cases, MRI scans were reviewed to determine the presence of retropharyngeal adenopathy. Results were analyzed in 619 patients treated with curative intent to determine the prognostic impact of retropharyngeal adenopathy. RESULTS: The highest incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy was seen in patients with nasopharyngeal (74%) and pharyngeal wall (19%) cancers. The number of cervical nodal groups involved was the most significant factor (p < .0001) relating to the incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy. The rates of neck relapse (40% at 5 years) and distant metastasis were significantly higher in patients with retropharyngeal adenopathy, and the rates of 5-year relapse-free survival and absolute survival were significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS: Retropharyngeal adenopathy is a strong predictor of poor prognosis, particularly for patients with advanced neck disease.

Carcinoma of the oral tongue: a comparison of results and complications of treatment with radiotherapy and/or surgery.

BACKGROUND: Oral tongue cancer may be treated primarily with radiotherapy or with surgery alone or combined with adjuvant radiotherapy; the choice between these two approaches is controversial. METHODS: To evaluate the results of a shift in treatment policy in 1985 in favor of primary surgical treatment for carcinoma of the oral tongue, the results of radiotherapy (with or without neck dissection, 105 patients) were compared with those for surgery (with or without radiotherapy, 65 patients). RESULTS: Local control rates were improved for T3 (p = .03) and 14 (p = .08) patients treated surgically but were similar for T1-T2 patients. Local-regional control and survival rates were not significantly different. The rate of severe complications was significantly higher (p = .01) for T3 patients treated with surgery, particularly in the subset of patients who received postoperative radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: We generally recommend surgical treatment for T1-T2 patients with the addition of postoperative twice-a-day radiotherapy in selected cases. For selected T3-T4 patients we are investigating split-course twice-a-day preoperative radiotherapy in the hope that the extent of the surgical procedure, and hence the rate of severe complications, will be reduced.

Stage IB or IIA-B carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix greater than or equal to 6 cm in diameter: is adjuvant extrafascial hysterectomy beneficial?

This is an analysis of 150 patients with Stage IB or IIA-B carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix greater than or equal to 6 cm in diameter treated with irradiation alone (75 patients) or irradiation followed by surgery (75 patients) at the University of Florida between October 1964 and June 1983. Minimum follow-up in this series was 5 years. There was no significant difference in the distribution of prognostic factors between the two treatment groups. The 5-year local control rate was 74% with irradiation alone and 76% with irradiation and surgery. The 5-year survival rates for irradiation alone versus irradiation plus surgery were as follows: cause specific, 62% and 55%, and absolute, 54% and 52%. The proportion of patients who developed treatment complications necessitating hospitalization or a second operation was 4/75 (5%) after irradiation alone and 12/75 (16%) after irradiation and surgery. The authors conclude that the routine use of adjuvant extrafascial hysterectomy is not warranted in this patient population.

Incisional or excisional neck-node biopsy before definitive radiotherapy, alone or followed by neck dissection.

An analysis of 508 patients (660 heminecks) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and clinically positive neck nodes who were treated with radiotherapy alone to the primary lesion (with or without a neck dissection) was conducted to determine if open neck-node biopsy before definitive treatment adversely affected the probability of control of neck disease, the risk of distant metastasis, or the cause-specific survival rate. The prognostic factors analyzed included biopsy status of the neck, N stage, neck treatment, node mobility, node location, T stage, primary site, and control of disease above the clavicles. Sixty-six patients who had undergone an open neck-node biopsy before definitive radiotherapy were compared with a control group of 442 patients who did not undergo a neck-node biopsy; no detrimental effect of the biopsy on neck control, distant metastasis, or cause-specific survival was demonstrated. We conclude that the potential adverse effect of violating the neck before definitive treatment cannot be demonstrated if radiotherapy is the next step in the patient's management.