[Carcinomas of the posterior pharyngeal wall. Experience of the Institut Curie. Analysis of the results of radiotherapy].

Between 1960 to 1982, 98 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the posterior pharyngeal wall were treated at the Curie Institute by radiotherapy alone. The absolute survival is 30% and 18% at three and five years. The major cause of death is loco-regional failure. 95% of the local failures arrived within the 18 first months. The 2 years control rate ranged from 80% for T1, 64% for T2, to 36% for T3 and 22% for T4. The local control is so depending on the radiation induced regression of the primary. The 2 years control rate is 71% for the patients with complete regression and 12% for the patients with not complete regression at the end of the treatment. The improvement of these results by adjunction of other treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, hyperthermia) is discussed.