Cancer of the larynx and pharynx.

Abstract

THE 113 laryngeal and 103 pharyngeal cancer patients reported upon here represent all the patients with this diagnosis at the Washington Hospital Center whose treatment was initiated between Jan 1, 1959, and Dec 31, 1962. There are no omissions, and thus patients who refused or were too ill for definitive therapy are included. The Washington Hospital Center is a nonprofit community general hospital of 700 beds which opened in mid-1958. Patients seen that year are not included in this report as part of their treatment was often in another hospital, and radiotherapy was orthovoltage rather than the 2 million volt unit used since. Clinic and private patients are comingled in this report, and the socioeconomic status would represent a fair cross-section of metropolitan Washington. Of the patients, 146 were white, 68 Negro, and 2 oriental (both with nasopharyngeal carcinoma). The 32% incidence of Negroes is higher than most series; the