Abstract
There still are many clinical and biological aspects of the natural history of cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract to be unveiled; which in Brazil is a direct consequence of the failure of systematic prevention and early diagnosis campaigns. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the signs and symptoms presented by patients with the disease at initial and advanced stages. Other variables such as disease duration, general and nutritional status were considered. METHOD: A historical cohort study with a cross-section involving 895 subjects with cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract. RESULTS: Clinical findings were not statistically correlated with disease progression, nor with the disease in early stages, but it showed rapid disease development. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a disease of insidious onset in the early stages and fast course afterwards. The long disease duration - greater than three months, was associated with worsening in general and nutritional states of patients.