Advanced carcinoma of the nasopharynx. A clinical study of 274 patients

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1148/radiology.144.4.6810406· OSTI ID:6709853

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: Veterans Administration Radiation Oncology Group, Radiation Therapy Service, Wadsworth Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• OSTI ID: 6709853
• Journal Information: Radiology; (United States), Journal Name: Radiology; (United States) Vol. 144:4; ISSN RADLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BODY
CARCINOMAS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
LYMPH NODES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MEDICINE
METASTASES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGY
PATIENTS
PHARYNX
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SURVIVAL TIME
THERAPY