SURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF 5595 HEAD AND NECK CANCERS - RESULTS OF CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT IN A HIGH-RISK POPULATION

This is a study of 5595 head and neck cancer patients treated during 1 987-89 at TMH, Mumbai, The study included 1970 oral cancers (ICD 140-1 45), 1495 oropharyngeal cancers (ICD 1410, 1453, 146), 1255 hypopharyn geal cancers (ICD 148), 125 nasopharyngeal cancers (ICD 147) and 750 l aryngeal cancers (ICD 161). The clinical extent of disease at presenta tion was based on TNM group staging (UICC 1978). For the majority of s ites, patients attended the hospital during stage III and stage IV of the disease; the only exception was for cancers of the lower lip, ante rior tongue and vocal cord when between 46.2% and 56.5% of patients wi th localized cancer (stage I and II) were seen. Generally, surgery eit her alone or with radiation has been administered for oral cancer pati ents whereas radiation either alone or in combination with chemotherap y was administered for other head and neck sites. The overall 5-year s urvival rate was in the range of 20-43% for oral cancer, 8-25% for pha ryngeal cancers and 25-62% for laryngeal cancer. The 5-year relative s urvival rates were more or less in agreement with the results publishe d by the Eurocare study for head and neck cancers. The importance of p rimary prevention in head and neck cancer is stressed.