Treatment of cancer of the nasal cavity.

Fifty-seven cases of cancer of the nasal cavity were treated initially by irradiation (30 cases), surgery (13 cases) and combined irradiation and surgery (14 cases). Irradiation was given using radium techniques in small accessible lesions, external radiation therapy in less accessible tumors, and external radiation therapy plus radium in more extensive disease. External radiation therapy is the technique commonly used and was considered more flexible and satisfactory. Simple or radical surgical procedures were selected according to the site and extent of tumor. In the combined treatment, surgery was ordinarily followed by irradiation in the treatment of locally advanced tumor.The degree of extension and the histology of tumor were the most significant prognostic factors. Early well differentiated squamous cell carcinomas have the best prognosis. The 5 year survival in the whole series was 56 per cent. In the early tumors, radiotherapy and surgery gave equally good results. In tumors with bone or cartilag...