The purpose of functional surgery for cancers of the head and neck is to enable the patient to live a normal social life as he did before he was afflicted.
Although the final objective of the treatment is complete cure of the disease, the first objective is to prevent the lesion from further extension and metastasis in case it is incurable, and enable the patient to return to his social life, even with microscopic evidence of the lesion present.
Close observation and Immediate response to any sign of extension are mandatory to confine the disease at one site and enable the patient to continue his social activities.
In the treatment of maxillary carcinoma we found that the extension of cancer could be brought under control and the survival rate increased by a small dose of irradiation when combined with chemotherapy and surgery.
Irradiation as small as 1000 R has produced histological damage in the cancer cells of 3rd or fourth degree changes in Shimosato's classifiction in 50% of our cases when combined with local debridement. Some remaining cancer cells may be suppressed by interstitial reaction.
The control of cancers of the head and neck could be accomplished by a comprehensive understanding of the disease and the organism. The main objective of functional surgery is the total care of a patient and not simply the disease.
