Journal
LARYNGO-RHINO-OTOLOGIE
Volume 91, Issue 6, Pages 375-380Publisher
GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1306363
Keywords
autopsy; head and neck; cancer
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Background: Nowadays, the morphological assessment of samples obtained from living patients has a greater importance than the scientific knowledge which is gained by autopsy. Therefore, the aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of causes of death in patients with head and neck cancer. Material and Methods: The autopsy rate, clinical parameters of oncologic patients as well as autopsy findings like lethal complications, distant metastases and second primary tumors were retrospectively analyzed. Results: From 1968 to 2007 in 91 patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck an autopsy was performed. In these 39 years an autopsy was performed in 45.9% of dead oncologic patients. Autopsy findings revealed distant metastases in 46.2% and second primary tumors in 17.6% of the patients. 49.5% of the patients died from pneumonia, 20.9% from tumor bleeding and 10% from progressive cachexia. Conclusion: The study confirms the global trend of a decline in autopsy numbers in the last 3 decades. However, as an important instrument of quality assurance autopsies continue to play an essential and indispensable role in medical research.
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