Complications of postoperative and preoperative radiation therapy in head and neck cancers. A comparative study.

The complications of planned postoperative irradiation in 60 consecutive patients treated between 1975 and 1979 are compared with those seen in 92 patients treated with preoperative irradiation between 1968 and 1974. The overall rate of complications requiring additional hospitalization was 15% (nine patients) in the postoperative radiotherapy group as compared with 54% (50 patients) in the preoperative radiotherapy group. A statistically significant increase in acute complications was noted in the latter group (46 vs three, 50% vs 5%). Delayed complications occurred with similar frequency in both groups. The three-year survival was comparable between similar patients of each group treated with either of the two modalities. We favor postoperative irradiation because of decreased acute complications and comparable survival. Modifications of the treatment technique are suggested to minimize the overall rate of complications.