Ninety two patients with malignant tumors of maxillary sinus were treated at theDepartment of Oral Medicine, Otorhinolayrngology and Radiology, Ichikawa Hospital, Tokyo Dental College during 12 years from 1969 to 1981.
These cases were retrospectively analysed and the following results were obtained:
There were 61 males and 31 females (2: 1) and the majority were in the 6 th decade of life.
Pathological classification is as follows: 64 cases (69. 6%) of squamous cell carcinoma, 6 cases (6.5%) of malignant lymphoma, 2 cases (2.2%) of undifferentiated cell carcinoma and 1 case (1.1%) of adenocarcinoma, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, leoimyosarcoma, Wegener's granulomatosis and malignant ameloblastoma respectively.
Squamous cell carcinomas were by far the most common malignant tumors in the maxillary sinus. There were 67 carcinomas and 9 sarcomas (7.4: 1).
According to T classification proposed by JJC (1977) and NM classification by UICC (1978), 67 carcinomas were classified as 1 case (1.5%) of T1, 8 cases (11.8%) of T2 43 cases (64.2%) of T3, and 15 cases (22.5%) of T4 and they were additionally classified as 8 cases (11.9%) of Stage J, 16 cases (23.9%) of Stage if, 24 cases (35.8%) of Stage I and 19 cases (28.4%) of Stage IV.
Cervical lymphnodal metastasis was found in 34 cases (50.8%) and there were 5 cases (7.5%) of distant metastasis.
Almost all of carcinomas were treated by combined therapy consisting surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy.
In the cases treated by combined therapy, the correlation between survival rates and Stages showed that survival rates of 3 and 5 years were both 83.3% in Stage I, 51.4% and 34.3% in Stage II respectively, 32.1% and 24.9% in Stage I respectively, and both 0% in Stage iv. The more Stage advanced, the more survival rates fell.
On the other hand, 3 and 5 year survival rates of the advanced cases (Stage 111 and iv) treated by combined therapy and intraarterial infusion of anticancer drugs were both 60.0%.
The author recommends combined therapy consisting of surgery, irradiation, chemotherapy and intraarterial infusion of anticancer drugs for the maxillary sinus carcinoma, especially for progressive cases.