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A prospectively recorded 5-year series of 254 patients receiving elective neck irradiation is evaluated. All had clinically negative necks and initial control at the primary site. Forty-seven percent of the patients had T₃–₄ tumours. Radiotherapy was delivered from a megavolt source at 2 Gy/day 5 days a week to a total dose of 46–50 Gy. All but 3 patients completed the treatment as planned. Neither tumour stage nor site of the primary tumour was related to the incidence of regional recurrences. Of 30 patients receiving 46–49 Gy, 5 died from neck node recurrences. Of 221 patients treated to 50 Gy or more, 16 (7.2 %) developed regional recurrences. Two of these recurrences were avoided, giving a regional failure rate of 6.3 %. As a whole, 7.8 % died from regional, 11.4 % from local, and 3.1 % from distant recurrences.

No abstract

Twenty-four patients underwent reconstruction of the lower anterior part of the oral cavity with a total of 29 nasolabial skinflaps, following ablative surgery for squamous cell carcinoma. Partial necrosis due to biting occurred in one flap. The rest healed without complications. Cosmetic impairment was minimal and postoperative functional problems were related to the extent of the primary resection rather than the flap. The nasolabial flap has proved to be a very safe and useful alternative for reconstruction of relatively small defects in the lower anterior part of the oral cavity.