Background: To assess the role of preoperative irradiation and surgery in patients with oropharyneal cancer.
Materials and methods: Seventy-five patients were treated with radiotherapy alone or followed by surgery. The stage distribution was stage II in 15 patients, stage III in 16 patients, stage IVA in 38 patients and stage IVB in 6 patients.
Results: Thirty-five patients were treated with radiotherapy alone and the remaining 40 underwent definitive surgery after radiation therapy. In the multivariate analysis, both good Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and complete response (CR) after radiation therapy had positive impact on locoregional control and survival. Overall survival at 5 years was 65% and 20% for KPS > or = 90% and KPS < 90%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Corresponding values for CR and non-CR were 80% and 35%, respectively (p = 0.0001).
Conclusion: The results indicated that the KPS and complete response after radiation therapy were very sensitive surrogates for locoregional control and survival for cancer of the oropharynx.