Hormone conditioned cancer chemotherapy for recurrent breast cancer prolongs survival

Left suprarenal-inferior mesenteric venous shunt (Inokuchi) was prescribed for 80 patients with recurrent breast cancer and the efficacy of hormone coditioned cancer chemotherapy was assessed. The patients were separated into 3 groups according to the historical regimen of combined chemotherapy: Group I; surgical hormone therapy alone, Group II; surgery plus short term chemotherapy, and Group III; surgery plus long term chemotherapy. The 5 year survival rate of the responsive patients to the surgical hormone therapy was as high as 84.6 per cent in Group III, as compared to that of Groups I and II, 41.7 per cent and 16.7, respectively. Survival was not prolonged in non-responsive patients, regardless of the group. These findings indicate that surgical hormone therapy combined with postoperative long term cancer chemotherapy is a valid and effective method for treating recurrence of breast cancer.     

Ten-year survival rates in breast cancer using combination chemotherapy.

The outcome in 254 patients with all stages of breast cancer treated by combination chemotherapy is presented. All the patients were treated 10 or more years ago. The 10-year survival rate for Stages I and II combined is 60 per cent, in Stage III 19 per cent and in Stage IV 3 per cent. The combined rate in Stages I and II differed markedly according to hormonal status. In premenopausal patients the rate was 84 per cent compared with 42 per cent in postmenopausal patients.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in stage III breast cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer can potentially downstage disease prior to definitive surgery. In this study, a doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant regimen was administered to stage III breast cancer patients to assess 1) primary tumor response, 2) tumor involvement of resection margins, and 3) predictive value in cancer outcome. Eighty-two patients with stage IIIA and IIIB breast cancer diagnosed between 1990 and 2003 were studied. All patients received similar chemotherapy regimens, consisting of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil, plus surgery and radiation therapy. End points measured include primary tumor response [complete response (CR) = 100%, partial response (PR) > 50%, or no response (NR) < or = 50%], resection margins for tumor, disease-free, and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were performed. Of the 82 patients studied, 34 received neoadjuvant therapy, 48 received conventional postoperative treatment. Seventy-two per cent of the stage IIIB and 22 per cent of the stage IIIA patients received neoadjuvant therapy. In the neoadjuvant group, 29 (85%) patients demonstrated tumor response, 9 (26%) of which were CR. Tumor-free resection margins were achieved in 94 per cent of the neoadjuvant group. Survival analysis demonstrated no benefit comparing neoadjuvant versus postoperative adjuvant therapy but hints at improved disease-free survival in neoadjuvant CR patients (log-rank test, P = 0.07). Eighty-five per cent of patients with stage III breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy experienced clinical response, with 26 per cent CR, and 97 per cent tumor-free resection margins. CR may portend a better cancer outcome.     

Metaplastic breast cancer: clinical features and outcomes

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast, a neoplasm with both epithelial and mesenchymal elements, represents less than 1 per cent of all breast cancer. We reviewed the records of all patients diagnosed with localized metaplastic breast cancer from 1991 to 2003 at our institution. We identified 21 patients. Mean primary tumor size was 4.62 cm. Eight patients (38%) had axillary node involvement at presentation. All the tumors were high grade. Only two (10%) of the tumors were hormone receptor positive. Seventeen (81%) of the patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 12 (57%) of the patients received radiation. Ten (29%) patients suffered a local recurrence. With a mean follow-up of 46 months, the 5-year disease-free and overall survival was 42 per cent (95% CI: 20% to 65%) and 71 per cent (95% CI: 46% to 96%), respectively. Stage-specific overall survival was 100 per cent, 83 per cent, and 53 per cent for stages I, II, and III, respectively. By multivariate analysis, there was no impact on recurrence or survival with regard to size, age, menopausal status, nodal status, histologic subtype, adjuvant therapy, or extent of surgery. Metaplastic breast cancer is a unique neoplasm that tends to present at an advanced stage and has a propensity for local recurrence. When stratified by stage, however, survival appears similar to that of adenocarcinoma of the breast, and these tumors should be treated as such.     

An analysis of filtration and volume of radionucleotide in sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer patients

Controversy has occurred regarding whether to filter or not to filter the radionucleotide and what the optimal volume is when performing sentinel lymph node biopsies. To try and resolve this question we retrospectively looked at sentinel-node biopsies for breast cancer performed at our institution over an 18-month period. One hundred seven patients underwent sentinel node biopsy. Ninety-four patients had an axillary-node dissection. Twelve patients did not have a nodal dissection based on National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project protocol, and one patient refused dissection. Patients fell into three groups: Group I, filtered 8 cm3; Group II, unfiltered 8 cm3; and Group III, unfiltered 16 cm3 (NSABP protocol). Sentinel nodes were identified in 96.3 per cent of Group I, 84.9 per cent of Group II, and 96.3 per cent of Group III. These groups were not statistically different. With the addition of blue dye the ability to identify the sentinel lymph node was for Group I 96.3 per cent, for Group II 96.2 per cent, and for Group III 100 per cent. The false negative biopsy result was 0 per cent for all groups. The patients receiving 16-cm3 volume complained about a greater level of discomfort compared with the lower-volume patients. In conclusion neither the volume nor the filtration process affected the surgeon's ability to find the sentinel lymph node or the false negative rate. The higher injection volumes resulted in more pain. The costs and radiation exposure of the filtration process are not warranted.     

Improved staging for testicular cancer using biologic tumor markers: a prospective study

The effective use of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for patients with testicular cancer requires accurate staging for therapy and/or interpretaton of end results. The conventional staging parameters, including the lymphangiogram, inferior venacavogram and excretory urogram, often yield a considerable staging error. With sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays of serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin in 118 patients with embryonal carcinoma with or without teratoma undergoing clinical and surgical staging the staging errors have decreased to 9 to 14 per cent in stage I and 5 to 10 per cent in stage II cases. Various clinical observations have been made in this group of patients: 1) persistently elevated serum markers after orchiectomy for testicular cancer invariably indicate stage II or III disease, 2) persistently elevated serum markers after positive lymphadenectomy usually suggest stage III disease and 3) persistently elevated serum markers after lymphadenectomy negative for tumor invariably indicate stage III disease. Therefore, such determinations are important guides to further therapy and must be an essential feature of adjuvant trials.     

Arguments for regional centralized treatment of stomach cancer. A statistical study of national results

An analysis was made of therapeutic results obtained from 6,220 cases of primary gastric carcinoma and from 1,308 cases of radical surgery, as listed in the 1976 National Cancer Record of the GDR. Results were examined relative to the number of radical operations per annum. Involved in the above treatment of gastric carcinoma were 237 surgical wards throughout the GDR. Numbers of radical operations were between one and four per annum in 56.1 per cent of all wards (Group I), between 5 and 19 in 40.5 per cent (Group II), and 20 or more in only 3.4 per cent (Group III). Radical removability accounted for 13.2 per cent of all cases in Group I, 28.2 per cent in Group II, and 38.5 per cent in Group III. Better therapeutic results relative to the number of radical operations per annum were reflected in the following absolute five-year survival rates: 3.4 per cent in Group I, 6.8 per cent in Group II, and 10.6 per cent in Group III. These findings are likely to support the advisability of regional centralisation of treatment for stomach carcinoma.     

新辅助化疗及保乳手术在Ⅱ|Ⅲ期乳腺癌中的治疗作用

目的探讨新辅助化疗及保乳手术在Ⅱ,Ⅲ期乳腺癌治疗中的作用。方法对观察组46例Ⅱ,Ⅲ期乳腺癌经新辅助化疗后接受保乳手术治疗的患者进行随访观察,并与59例患者对照研究。新辅助化疗方案为表阿霉素60 mg/m2第1天静脉注射,紫杉醇150 mg/m2。第2天持续3 h静脉滴注,21 d为1个疗程。保乳手术方式为象限切除或肿块局部广泛切除联合腋窝淋巴结清除。对照组常规行根治性切除术。术后对乳房外形及局部复发、远处转移进行随访观察。结果新辅助化疗后,观察组术前肿瘤病灶临床完全缓解(CR)9例,部分缓解(PR)37例。术后病理学检查发现,观察组癌细胞均有不同程度的变性、坏死,细胞间质水肿,纤维增生,炎性细胞浸润;其中病理完全缓解(PCR)4例。对保乳综合治疗(放疗+化疗)结束后1年的31例患者进行外形评估,其中优19.4%(6/31),良58.1%(18/31),差22.6%(7/31)。观察组局部复发率为8.7%(4/46),对照组为6.8%(4/59),两组比较无统计学意义(P0.05);观察组远处转移率为6.5%(3/46),与对照组(15.3%,9/59)比较无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论新辅助化疗后行保乳手术治疗Ⅱ,Ⅲ期乳腺癌基本是安全的,可达到根治性手术的效果。新辅助化疗,规范化切除,术后放疗、化疗是保乳治疗成功的关键。     

Survival following mastectomy for stage III breast cancer.

Patients with locally advanced breast cancer have been considered unsuitable for curative surgical therapy and are usually approached with other treatment modalities. Review of the results of radical mastectomy in 228 patients with stage III breast cancer demonstrates actuarial survival of 33 per cent at five years and 22 per cent at ten years. Treatment with preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy as employed did not lead to survival superior to that of mastectomy alone. Evidence of local or regional recurrence developed in 27 per cent of patients. In 73 per cent the first recurrence was systemic. This retrospective study suggests that the prognosis for locally advanced breast cancer is not as dismal as has been previously reported. The importance of nodal involvement is again emphasized. A randomized trial of mastectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer is warranted. Such a study is in progress at our institution.     

Breast cancer in Nigerian women.

A combined retrospective (1971-1980) and prospective (1981-1990) study of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and pathology of breast cancer in a black African population was carried out. There were 1946 biopsy-proven cases, with a rate frequency of 33.6 per 100,000 patients per year. The age range was 14-96 years but 70 per cent of patients were between 26 and 50 years old. The cumulative frequency of cancer was 0.8 per cent at age < 20 years and 3.3 per cent at age < 25 years; the peak age range for disease was 36-45 years. Of 1842 evaluable patients, 17.2 per cent presented with stages I or II cancer and 73.8 per cent with stage III disease. The dominant histopathological type was infiltrating ductal cancer (49.2 per cent), followed by undifferentiated anaplastic carcinoma (33.3 per cent). Burkitt's lymphoma occurred in five patients and developed concurrently and rapidly during lactation in four. The prospective study did not demonstrate that age at menarche or first full-term pregnancy, duration of breast feeding or parity were risk factors in black women.     

Predictors of operative morbidity and mortality in gastric cancer surgery

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify factors that predict morbidity and mortality in gastric cancer surgery. METHODS: Data on 719 consecutive patients who underwent operations for gastric cancer at Seoul National University Hospital between January and December 2002 were reviewed. RESULTS: Overall morbidity and mortality rates were 17.4 per cent (125 patients) and 0.6 per cent (four patients) respectively, and the rates of surgical and non-surgical complications were 14.7 per cent (106 patients) and 3.3 per cent (24 patients). Morbidity rates were higher in patients aged over 50 years (odds ratio (OR) 1.04 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 1.02 to 1.06)), when the gastric tumour was resected with another organ (36 per cent for combined resection versus 15.4 per cent for gastrectomy only; OR 3.25 (95 per cent c.i. 1.76 to 6.03)) and when gastrojejunostomy was used for reconstruction after subtotal gastrectomy (17.0 per cent for Billroth II versus 9.5 per cent for Billroth I; OR 2.00 (95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 3.79)). Only three patients (2.8 per cent) with a surgical complication underwent reoperation, two for adhesive obstruction and one for intra-abdominal bleeding. CONCLUSION: Age, combined resection and Billroth II reconstruction after radical subtotal gastrectomy were independently associated with the development of complications after gastric cancer surgery.     

Risk of lymphoedema following the treatment of breast cancer

The incidence of lymphoedema was studied in 200 patients following a variety of treatments for operable breast cancer. Lymphoedema was assessed in two ways: subjective (patient plus observer impression) and objective (physical measurement). Arm volume measurement 15 cm above the lateral epicondyle was the most accurate method of assessing differences in size of the operated and normal arm. Arm circumference measurements were inaccurate. Subjective lymphoedema was present in 14 per cent whereas objective lymphoedema (a difference in limb volume greater than 200 ml) was present in 25.5 per cent. Independent risk factors contributing towards the development of subjective late lymphoedema were the extent of axillary surgery (P less than 0.05), axillary radiotherapy (P less than 0.001) and pathological nodal status (P less than 0.10). The risk of developing late lymphoedema was unrelated to age, menopausal status, handedness, early lymphoedema, surgical and radiotherapeutic complications, total dose of radiation, time interval since presentation, drug therapy, surgery to the breast, radiotherapy to the breast and tumour T stage. The incidence of subjective late lymphoedema was similar after axillary radiotherapy alone (8.3 per cent), axillary sampling plus radiotherapy (9.1 per cent) and axillary clearance alone (7.4 per cent). The incidence after axillary clearance plus radiotherapy was significantly greater (38.3 per cent, P less than 0.001). Axillary radiotherapy should be avoided in patients who have had a total axillary clearance.     

Standard radical esophagectomy in thoracic esophageal cancer

In Japan, the standard radical surgical procedure in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer is right thoracoabdominal esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy. However, with the development of endoscopic surgery and improvements in chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, the role of radical surgery has been changing. The indications for radical surgery are stage I disease without indications for endoscopic resection (endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection), stage II disease, or stage III disease without T 4 tumors. Because of the favorable results of chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of stage I disease, the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) started a randomized, controlled trial comparing surgery and chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of stage I thoracic esophageal cancer. The 5-year overall survival rates in patients who underwent surgery alone for thoracic esophageal cancer were 88% with stage I and 52% with stage II + III disease in Japan. The most important area in lymphadenectomy is the region from the neck to superior mediastinum, and three-field dissection is widely performed in Japan. However, there is no evidence that three-field dissection is necessary or that two-field dissection is sufficient. The efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of thoracic esophageal cancer was confirmed in a Japanese randomized, controlled trial and it is expected that the timing of adjuvant chemotherapy will change from post- to pre-surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy).     

Application of mammary serum antigen assay in the management of breast cancer: a preliminary report

A monoclonal antibody (3E1.2) based serum test using an enzyme immunoassay has been used to determine circulating levels of the breast cancer associated antigen--mammary serum antigen (MSA). Of 157 patients with early breast cancer (stage I and II) and 199 patients with advanced breast cancer (stage III and IV), 73 per cent and 87 per cent respectively had elevated MSA levels (i.e. greater than 300 inhibition units (IU). Furthermore, 40 of 44 patients (91 per cent) had a significant fall of MSA levels with reduction in tumour load by mastectomy. In addition, there was a correlation of MSA levels with the clinical course: changes in MSA levels correlated with changes in disease status (progressive disease, stable disease, disease regression) in 54 of 61 patients and antedated disease progression or recurrence by up to 8 months in some patients; and in 32 of 36 patients (89 per cent) with no clinical evidence of recurrence MSA levels did not vary by more than 25 per cent of the original MSA value over a period of 2-15 months. MSA is therefore a useful tumour marker in the diagnosis and staging of breast cancer. There is also evidence that serial estimations of MSA levels may be used to detect subclinical recurrence and the fluctuations in MSA levels might be useful in assessing response to therapy. Furthermore, it was also noted that surgical procedures such as fine needle aspiration biopsy or incisional biopsy could lead to a rise in MSA levels.     

Multimodality Treatment of Thymoma: A Prospective Study

Background. Thymomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors. Treatment of invasive lesions is not well standardized. The aim of this study is to propose a clinicopathologically based protocol for multimodality therapy.

Methods. Between 1965 and 1988, we operated on 83 patients with thymoma who did not receive standardized adjuvant therapy. In 1989, on the basis of the retrospective analysis of the data, we started a multimodality therapy protocol and used it for 65 patients. Twelve patients had medullary thymoma (11 stage I and 1 stage II), 13 had mixed type (6 stage I and 7 stage II), and 40 had cortical thymoma (4 stage I, 11 stage II, 12 stage III, and 13 stage IV). We considered three groups. Group I (n = 18 patients), benign thymoma, included stage I and II medullary and stage I mixed thymomas; radical resection with no adjuvant therapy was performed. Group II (n = 22), invasive thymoma, included stage I and II cortical and stage II mixed thymomas; postoperative chemotherapy plus radiotherapy was always administered. Group III (n = 25), malignant thymoma, comprised stage III and IV cortical thymomas and stage III mixed thymomas; resectable stage III lesions were removed, and highly invasive stage III and stage IV lesions underwent biopsy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and surgical resection; postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy was administered to all patients.

Results. The 8-year survival rate for patients in stages I, II, III, and IV was 95%, 100%, 92%, and 68%, respectively. Patients with medullary thymoma had a 92% 8-year survival rate; those with mixed type, 100%; and those with cortical thymoma, 85%. Group I had an 8-year survival rate of 94%; group II, 100%; and group III, 76%. Survival was compared with that of patients operated on before 1989: differences were not significant for group I; survival improved in group II (100% versus 81%; p = not significant); and group III showed significant improvement (76% versus 43%; p < 0.049).

Conclusions. Multimodality treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiotherapy may improve the results of radical resection and the survival of patients with invasive and malignant thymoma.     

Better control of esophageal variceal bleeding by sclerotherapy followed by surgery

This paper reports the clinical results of a retrospective study comparing endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and back-up surgical treatment after EIS in the management of acute variceal bleeding. The 74 patients included in the study were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of 41 patients who received EIS over a mean period of 2.2 sessions and Group II consisted of 33 patients who underwent EIS and subsequent surgical intervention, in the form of 19 distal splenorenal shunts and 14 nonshunting procedures. The overall percentage of patients in whom initial control of variceal bleeding was achieved was 91.8 per cent. Four of the Group II patients were saved by emergency nonshunting operations. Rebleeding was experienced by 4 (28.6 per cent) of the 14 patients who underwent nonshunting surgery but by only 1 (5.3 per cent) of the 19 patients who underwent selective shunt surgery. The cumulative survival in Group II was significantly superior to that in Group I with 2 year survival being achieved in 66.7 per cent of the Group II patients but in only 23 per cent of Group I patients. Thus, the combination of initial EIS and back-up surgical intervention may be more beneficial than sclerotherapy alone for patients with acute variceal bleeding, while, the distal splenorenal shunt may be a more suitable surgical technique for patients having previously EIS.     

Better control of esophageal variceal bleeding by sclerotherapy followed by surgery

This paper reports the clinical results of a retrospective study comparing endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and back-up surgical treatment after EIS in the management of acute variceal bleeding. The 74 patients included in the study were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of 41 patients who received EIS over a mean period of 2.2 sessions and Group II consisted of 33 patients who underwent EIS and subsequent surgical intervention, in the form of 19 distal splenorenal shunts and 14 nonshunting procedures. The overall percentage of patients in whom initial control of variceal bleeding was achieved was 91.8 per cent. Four of the Group II patients were saved by emergency nonshunting operations. Rebleeding was experienced by 4 (28.6 per cent) of the 14 patients who underwent nonshunting surgery but by only 1 (5.3 per cent) of the 19 patients who underwent selective shunt surgery. The cumulative survival in Group II was significantly superior to that in Group I with 2 year survival being achieved in 66.7 per cent of the Group II patients but in only 23 per cent of Group I patients. Thus, the combination of initial EIS and back-up surgical intervention may be more benefical than sclerotherapy alone for patients with acute variceal bleeding, while, the distal splenorenal shunt may be a more suitable surgical technique for patients having previously EIS.     

Long-term follow-up of elderly patients with locoregional breast cancer treated with tamoxifen only

One hundred and thirteen women aged 70 years or more with locoregional breast cancer were treated with tamoxifen alone as primary treatment. They were followed for a minimum of 5 years. Complete response occurred in 38 women, partial response in 17, no change in 34 and progressive disease in 24. Where progressive disease occurred, or where patients relapsed after an initial response, the most suitable conventional therapy was given. The actuarial 5-year survival rate was 49.4 per cent for all patients and was much higher (92 per cent) in those showing an initial complete response. Seventy patients (61.9 per cent) were not controlled by tamoxifen alone to death or most recent follow-up. Tamoxifen provides an alternative treatment for operable breast cancer in older women in the short term and may be particularly suitable for those with concurrent disease or who are unwilling to undergo surgery. The low morbidity rate from tamoxifen must be balanced against the need to maintain close follow-up. In the medium to long term, sole primary treatment by tamoxifen delays more definitive therapy.     

Progress in lung cancer: Non-oat cell (non-small cell lung cancer)

Lung cancer remains the greatest killing cancer in the United States with 149,000 new cases expected in 1987. The present expected mortality rate is 87 per cent. More women in the United States died of lung cancer than breast cancer in 1986. Asymptomatic, early and curable lung cancer in high risk individuals is usually found by routine chest X-ray. So-called Stage I lung cancer was reported to have a 83 per cent survival rate at three years by Martini and Beattie in 1977 and 70 per cent five year survival rate subsequently. When the more than 30,000 volunteer males were enrolled in the National Cancer Institute, national lung program for screening, 223 unsuspected lung cancers were found. 47 per cent were Stage I with a survival rate at five years of over 76 per cent. The PMI-Strang/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center study found 53 cancers in its first screen and 235 lung cancers over the next eight years of the study. Forty per cent were Stage I with a five year survival rate of 70 per cent. Sputum cytology as compared to chest X-ray was of little additional value. Studies (Martini) of N1 lung cancer was found to have a 49 per cent survival rate following resection. The N2 group of lung cancers where the mediastinal tumor was surgically removable and followed by external radiation therapy had a 27 per cent survival rate at five years. Those tumors with solitary brain metastases where the solitary brain metastasis could be resected and the primary tumor controlled, gave a 27 per cent survival rate at six years. The group of advanced N2 disease where the mediastinum could not be completely cleared were a serious group of cancers. A study of 100 patients treated from 1977 to 1980 with surgery plus internal radiotherapy followed by external radiotherapy had an overall 22 per cent survival rate for four to eight years with most of the deaths occurring because of metastases outside the chest. More recently chemotherapy has been used pre-operatively for those individuals with advanced lung cancer in the chest then followed by a combination of surgery, internal radiotherapy, external radiotherapy and more chemotherapy, if chemotherapy sensitive. This is the so-called multidisciplinary approach. In our present early studies it seems that those so treated who are chemotherapy sensitive have a 44 per cent, two year survival rate in a group of patients considered to have extremely poor prognosis. Director Kriser Lung Cancer Center, Chief Thoracic Surgery, Director Clinical Cancer Programs, Beth Israel Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Emeritus, Attending Surgeon, Member of Board of Overseers, Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center This report is the gist of a paper read by E.J.B. at the 87th Annual Congress of the Japanese Surgical Society, Tokyo, Japan, 1987.     

Radiotherapy for parotid cancer

Background: Parotid malignancies represent a heterogeneous group of tumors primarily managed by surgical extirpation. Moderately high recurrence rates are seen after surgery alone, and postoperative radiotherapy has been used for patients with higher risks for local failure. Methods: To assess the role of radiotherapy in the management of patients with malignant tumors of the parotid gland, the records of 68 patients receiving megavoltage therapy at our institution from 1966 to 1989 were reviewed. Patients were placed into three groups for analyses. Group I was composed of 41 patients receiving radiotherapy following total gross removal of parotid cancer by surgical procedures, varying from excisional biopsy through total parotidectomy. Radiation dose for this group ranged from 4,995 to 6,500 cGy. Group II was composed of 10 patients treated with radiotherapy after incisional biopsy or excision with positive margins. These patients received radiation doses of 4,000–9,470 cGy. Group III was composed of 17 patients receiving radiotherapy for a postsurgical local recurrence. Their radiation dose ranged from 4,300 to 8,400 cGy. Results: Two of the 41 patients from group I developed a local recurrence. Two of these patients also developed distant metastases, one concurrent. Two of 10 group II patients failed locally, whereas three developed distant metastases. Only nine of the 17 patients in group III were controlled locally, and four patients developed distant dissemination. Conclusion: Total gross excision of parotid cancer, sparing facial nerve if possible and followed by regional radiotherapy, provides excellent rates of local control and survival with modest toxicity. Patients presenting postoperatively with gross residual tumor or recurrence after surgery should be considered for trials of more aggressive treatment with combined chemotherapy or altered fractionation schemes of irradiation.Presented in part as a poster exhibit at the Third International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, San Francisco, California, July 26–30, 1992.