Tonsil cancer. Patterns of failure after surgery alone and surgery combined with postoperative radiation therapy

Background. The authors determined the patterns of treatment failure in patients treated with surgery alone or surgery combined with postoperative radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil. Methods. Seventy-two patients underwent surgery alone (56) or surgery and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy (16). All patients were followed up until death (40 patients) or for a minimum of 3.5 years. For patients treated with surgery alone, clinic notes, operative notes, and pathology reports and slides were reviewed to identify clinical or pathologic predictors of recurrence above the clavicles, cause-specific survival, and overall survival