Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Salvage surgery for recurrent oropharyngeal cancer after chemoradiotherapy

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The current study aimed to assess the role of salvage surgery for failure cases of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) undergoing initial chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods

The data for 523 patients with previously untreated OPC were gathered from 12 institutions belonging to the Head and Neck Cancer Study Group in Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG).

Results

Of the 170 patients who received CRT, 35 patients (21 %) had local recurrence or residual disease. Only 11 patients underwent further salvage surgery, and 24 patients received nonsurgical treatment. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of patient age and the presence of a simultaneous regional recurrence. The 5-year overall survival rates for the patients who underwent salvage surgery were 49.1 %, whereas those for the patients who received nonsurgical treatment were 16.3 %.

Conclusion

The initial treatment method for OPC should be decided carefully and the limitations of salvage surgery should be fully considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen AY, Schrag N, Hao Y et al (2007) Changes in treatment of advanced oropharyngeal cancer, 1985–2001. Laryngoscope 117:16–21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Cohan DM, Popat S, Kaplan SE et al (2009) Oropharyngeal cancer: current understanding and management. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 17:88–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Parsons JT, Mendenhall WM, Stringer SP et al (2002) Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx: surgery, radiation therapy, or both. Cancer (Phila) 94:2967–2980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ang KK, Harris J, Wheeler R et al (2010) Human papillomavirus and survival of patients with oropharyngeal cancer. N Engl J Med 363:24–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Fakhry C, Westra WH, Li S et al (2008) Improved survival of patients with human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in a prospective clinical trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 100:261–269

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bachar GY, Goh C, Goldstein DP et al (2010) Long-term outcome analysis after surgical salvage for recurrent tonsil carcinoma following radical radiotherapy. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 267:295–301

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Taki S, Homma A, Oridate N et al (2010) Salvage surgery for local recurrence after chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy in hypopharyngeal cancer patients. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 267:1765–1769

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Goodwin WJ Jr (2000) Salvage surgery for patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract: when do the ends justify the means? Laryngoscope 110:1–18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Agra IM, Carvalho AL, Pontes E et al (2003) Postoperative complications after en bloc salvage surgery for head and neck cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 129:1317–1321

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Roosli C, Studer G, Stoeckli SJ (2010) Salvage treatment for recurrent oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 32:989–996

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Zafereo ME, Hanasono MM, Rosenthal DI et al (2009) The role of salvage surgery in patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Cancer (Phila) 115:5723–5733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Weber RS, Berkey BA, Forastiere A et al (2003) Outcome of salvage total laryngectomy following organ preservation therapy: the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trial 91–11. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 129:44–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Agra IM, Carvalho AL, Ulbrich FS et al (2006) Prognostic factors in salvage surgery for recurrent oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Head Neck 28:107–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nichols AC, Kneuertz PJ, Deschler DG et al (2011) Surgical salvage of the oropharynx after failure of organ-sparing therapy. Head Neck 33:516–524

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Boscolo-Rizzo P, Stellin M, Fuson R et al (2009) Long-term quality of life after treatment for locally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma: surgery and postoperative radiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiation. Oral Oncol 45:953–957

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan

    Satoshi Kano & Akihiro Homma

  2. Division of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan

    Ryuichi Hayashi

  3. Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuyoshi Kawabata

  4. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan

    Kunitoshi Yoshino

  5. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi, Japan

    Shigemichi Iwae

  6. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Japan

    Yasuhisa Hasegawa

  7. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

    Kenichi Nibu

  8. Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Takakuni Kato

  9. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

    Kiyoto Shiga

  10. Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Miyagi Cancer Center, Sendai, Japan

    Kazuto Matsuura

  11. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan

    Nobuya Monden

  12. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, National Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Masato Fujii

Authors
  1. Satoshi Kano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Akihiro Homma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ryuichi Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kazuyoshi Kawabata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kunitoshi Yoshino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shigemichi Iwae
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yasuhisa Hasegawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kenichi Nibu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Takakuni Kato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Kiyoto Shiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Kazuto Matsuura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Nobuya Monden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Masato Fujii
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akihiro Homma.

About this article

Cite this article

Kano, S., Homma, A., Hayashi, R. et al. Salvage surgery for recurrent oropharyngeal cancer after chemoradiotherapy. Int J Clin Oncol 18, 817–823 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-012-0449-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-012-0449-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation