Cancer of the tonsil--a retrospective study.

Treatment of cancer of the tonsil continues to be a controversial matter. A review of the otolaryngological literature and a study of 155 patients treated at the University of British Columbia reveals that the cure rate remains unsatisfactory, particularly in patients with large tumors. We have concluded that early carcinoma of the tonsil should be treated with a full course of radiotherapy reserving surgical treatment for residual or recurrent disease. Advanced carcinoma of the tonsil requires planned combined therapy. Early results indicate that the addition of chemotherapy may significantly improve results over the usual combination of radiotherapy and surgery.