Recurrent Advanced (T3 or T4) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Salvage surgery is often the only curative option for recurrent cancer.In patients whose initial tumor is stage T3 or T4, the primary therapy often makes salvage even more difficult.We therefore analyzed the outcome in patients who were originally treated for T3 or T4 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx and who then had a recurrence and chose to undergo further therapy for cure.Patients and Methods: From 1980 to 2000, a total of 940 patients were treated for stage T3 or T4 cancer.Forty-eight patients underwent salvage therapy for recurrence: 24 for primary site recurrence, 20 for regional recurrence, and 4 for locoregional recurrence. Results:The mean time to recurrence was 14.0 months, and the mean survival time was 26.2 months.Among the 28 patients treated for primary site recurrence, the mean time to rerecurrence was 12.6 months, and the mean sur-vival time was 27.3 months.Only 5 of the 28 patients had prolonged survival.The stage of the recurrent disease did not influence outcome.Among the 20 patients treated for neck recurrence, the mean time to recurrence was 14.0 months, and the mean survival time was 25.0 months.Six of the 20 patients had prolonged survival, but none had a recurrence in a previously dissected and irradiated neck.