Prognostic value of pretreatment CT regarding local control in oropharyngeal cancer after primary surgical resection

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic implication of tumor infiltration and volume in primarily operated oropharyngeal carcinomas. Material and Methods: In 80 patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (pT(1)=22, pT(2)=30, pT(3)=19 and pT(4)=9), the tumor volume was measured by pretreatment CT and the extent of tumor infiltration determined by postoperative histologic examination. All patients were followed clinicaly for local tumor recurrence for at least two years after therapy. The statistical analysis consisted of chi(2) and U tests. Results: The local control rate was 79% (63/80). Of all evaluated anatomic structures, only midline crossing correlated significantly with local recurrence (p = 0.06). No correlation of tumor volume (p = 0.19) or T stage (p = 0.60) with the local recurrence rate was found. Conclusion: After primary surgery, oropharyngeal carcinomas with midline crossing have an increased risk of local recurrence, whereas the tumor volume only has a minor impact on the recurrence rate. This is in contrast to laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinomas.