Treatment of advanced cancer of the head and neck

The combination of radiation plus 5-FU produced a significantly increased survival in patients with advanced tonsil and intra-oral cancer compared to patients who received radiotherapy alone. There was no significant difference in survival between these 2 treatment modalities in advanced cancer of the nasopharynx, hypopharynx, extrinsic larynx, or primary unknown. Similarly, there was no significant difference in survival resulting from these 2 methods of treatment in patients with T1 and T2 as well as T4 head and neck cancers, but a highly significant difference in those with T3 lesions.