Update on low dose rate irradiation for cancers of the oropharynx--May 1986.

At the conclusion of our recently published article in this Journal on low dose rate irradiation in moderately extensive cancers of the oropharynx, we updated our results in May 1986. Here we report on an expanded group of 65 patients with a 2 year minimum follow-up; 32 patients were treated by low dose rate irradiation and 33 by conventional fractionation. Forty-four percent (14/32) low dose irradiation patients survived with NED vs 8/33 (24%) conventional fractionation patients. The highly significant differences in the level of local recurrences between patients treated by low dose rate irradiation, 5/32 (16%), compared with conventional fractionation, 20/33 (61%), highlights the enhanced efficacy of the low dose rate irradiation technique in the local cure of cancers of the oropharynx. This superior local control however is achieved at the cost of a number of necrosis, 5/32 (16%).