Carcinoma of the soft palate and the posterior oropharyngeal wall.

Between 1966 and 1984, 14 patients with carcinoma of the soft palate and eight patients with a posterior oropharyngeal wall carcinoma were treated at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. In the soft palate group, the majority of patients (10) had small tumours T1-T2; the median patient delay was 1 month (range 0-5). Eleven patients were treated with radiotherapy and three with surgery, as single treatment modalities. Tumour control was achieved in 10 patients following initial treatment. Five-year results for tumour control and overall survival were 67% and 41%, respectively. In the posterior wall group all patients had advanced tumours (T3-T4), after a median patient delay of 4 months (range 0-6). Six patients were treated with radiotherapy, one with surgery only and one with a combination of these. Following the initial treatment, tumour control was achieved in half of the patients. Five-year tumour control was 50%, and overall survival at 5 years was 38%. In conclusion, the tumours in these two sub-sites of the oropharynx differ significantly in the extent of the primary tumour (P < 0.01), posterior wall tumours being more advanced on admission, after a significantly longer history (P < 0.01).