Carcinoma of the tonsil: Results of combined therapy

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Abstract
Carcinoma of the tonsil is second in frequency to carcinoma of the larynx among malignant tumors of the upper air passages. Thirty‐six patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil were treated with 4,000–4,500 rads of preoperative radiation followed in four to six weeks by surgical excision of the primary tumor and in‐continuity neck dissection. The male to female ratio was five to one, and the majority of the patients was between 50 and 69 years of age. The most common symptom was a sore throat, and the duration was usually less than four months prior to the initial examination. The two‐year absolute survival rate is 56 percent and the determinate survival rate is 67 percent. All recurrences were evident by the second year. Factors associated with an unfavorable prognosis were the presence of a fixed node in the neck, a pathologic specimen containing two or more positive neck nodes, and involvement of the tongue.