Advanced carcinoma of the nasopharynx

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Radiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6708630

Petrovich, Z; Cox, J D; Roswit, B; MacKintosh, R; Middleton, R; Ohanian, M; Rao, Y; Byhardt, R W; Paig, C; del Regato, J A

A total of 274 patients with a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was treated in eight Veterans Administration Hospitals over a period of 22 years. Of the 274 patients, 256 (93%) had squamous-cell carcinoma, while 18 (7%) had other tumors. Most of the squamous-cell carcinoma patients (82%) had Stage IV disease; cervical lymph node metastases were found in 193 (75%) and distant metastases were present in 22 (9%). The actuarial 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates for the 256 squamous-cell carcinoma patients were 15%, 10%, and 7%, while they were 49%, 42%, and 35% for the 18 patients with other tumors (p=0.006). There was a progressive decrease in 5-year survival with the increase in the stage of tumor. The survival of the 63 patients without metastases was better than the survival of the 193 patients with cervical metastases (24% vs. 12% at 5 years, p=0.03). The presence of T4 disease or Initial Performance Status of less than 80 on the Karnofsky Scale indicated a poor prognosis (p=0.0001). Treatment failure occurred in 83% of the patients by 2 years after therapy and was due to the lack of tumor control at the primary site. Advanced (N3) cervical lymph node metastases indicated that systemic tumor dissemination of the nasopharynx is an uncommon malignancy.

• Research Organization: Wadsworth Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• OSTI ID: 6708630
• Journal Information: Radiology; (United States), Journal Name: Radiology; (United States) Vol. 144:4; ISSN RADLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARCINOMAS
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON BEAMS
GAMMA RADIATION
HEAD
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEPTON BEAMS
MEDICINE
METASTASES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NECK
NECROSIS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
PHARYNX
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SIDE EFFECTS
THERAPY
X RADIATION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES