[Pathohistologic serial section studies in patients with complete tumor remissions after completed cytostatic induction therapy].

Initial combination drug regimen containing cis-platin in patients with head and neck cancer produced a high percentage of clinical response. Despite numerous trials showing high tumor response rates, a survival advantage resulting from the use of chemotherapy has yet not been demonstrated conclusively. This trial was initiated to study the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents on squamous cell carcinomas. 31 patients with oropharyngeal carcinomas received prior to surgical resection a polychemotherapy consisting of cis-platin and bleomycin. After surgical tumor resection the histopathologic examination based on the serial sections of the tumor tissues and neck dissection blocks showed no case of complete tumor response. Even in 9 patients with complete clinical tumor response the histopathological investigation revealed tumor cells.