Cancer of the pharyngeal wall

One hundred and sixty‐four consecutive cases of cancer of the pharyngeal wall from 1951 through 1961 are reviewed. Most of these tumors present in advanced stages of disease. Neighboring structures such as the larynx are commonly involved and neck node metastases occur ultimately in about two thirds of cases. The disease is characterized by sore throat, dysphagia, hoarseness and weight loss and occurs in individuals of middle and later life. The present studies indicate that pharyngeal cancer is best treated by wide surgical excision, reserving radiation therapy for selected cases of recurrence. Although irradiation alone can cure some small localized lesions, it is much less effective in the more common advanced lesions with metastases to the neck where surgery plays an important part in the over‐all treatment. Combinations of surgery and irradiation will salvage a few patients not controlled by either method alone. The gross 5‐year cure rate in those without evidence of disease is 19% with a net (determinate) cure rate of 21%.