Elective irradiation of subclinical disease in cancers of the head and neck

Abstract

Forty-five hundred to 5,000 rads in 5 weeks, 5 days a week, is adequate to eradicate more than 90 per cent of subclinical aggregates of epithelial cancer cells. The elective irradiation of neck nodes in squamous cell carcinoma of the upper respiratory and digestive tract is based on the probability of infestation of specific node areas. This policy applies to the high-grade malignant tumors of minor salivary gland origin. The ipsilateral neck should be irradiated in patients with malignant tumors of the major salivary glands.