Surgical complications in salvage surgery of patients with head and neck carcinomas treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCR)

One way of treating head and neck carcinomas is using concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCR). In this study we will try to evaluate the incidence of complications in rescue surgery after CCR. We have studied data from 103 patients diagnosed as having stage III or IV squamous head and neck carcinoma between 1997 and 2005. They were treated following two different CCR protocols. Of the 103 patients, 26 (25 %) required rescue surgery. Eight patients in this group (30.76 % of those operated on) presented complications. The average stay in our department was 52.8 days (7-197 days). Patients treated with CCR who have needed rescue surgery apparently have a higher rate of complications and a longer stay than those treated with surgery alone.