Combined therapy for maxillary sinus carcinoma with special reference to extensive Denker's operation.

A statistic analysis of 372 patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma treated between 1972 and 1983 was undertaken. One hundred eight patients were treated with the combined method consisting of 50 Gy irradiation, 2,000 mg 5-FU intraarterial infusion and tumor reduction surgery, the so-called extensive Denker's operation. Two hundred twenty-two patients were treated with the combined method not including extensive Denker's operation, and the other 42 patients with radiotherapy alone. The 5-year survival of these three groups were 48, 43, and 17%, respectively. The cumulative local control of the two groups with and without extensive Denker's operation was 51 and 33%, respectively. Maxillectomy as the second treatment was performed in 24 cases (22%) and 71 cases (32%) of the two groups of the combined method with and without extensive Denker's operation, respectively. On the other hand, 5-year survivors without maxillectomy of the two groups were 41 cases (38%) and 54 cases (24%), respectively. It was concluded that extensive Denker's operation plays an important role to increase the success rate of the initial treatment, decrease the rate of maxillectomy and increase the survival rate although it has a certain limit for the indication.