[Sandwich irradiation of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, the base of the tongue and the hypopharynx].

Taking into account the death rate of all other causes for that age group and comparing the survival time and the recurrence rate in patients with preoperative short-time irradiation with telecobalt 60 and a focal dose of 20 Gy with a second group of patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy, we were unable to detect any advantage of the so-called "sandwich therapy" in cancer of the tonsils, the base of the tongue or the hypopharynx. On the contrary: patients with "sandwich therapy" had to be hospitalized longer because of the interval between preoperative radiotherapy and surgery and because of the delay in restoring postoperative speech and deglutition.