Our experience with the treatment of nasopharyngeal tumors

An analysis is given of a group of 78 patients suffering from nasopharyngeal cancer treated during a period of 15 years. The ratio of males to females was 1.6:1, with a maximum incidence in the 4th and 5th decade. There was a predominance of carcinomas (60 patients) over malignant lymphomas (18 patients). With respect to the stage of the carcinomas, the largest group of patients (36 individuals) could be classified as Stage III. At the beginning of the treatment regional metastases were present in 68% of the carcinomas. Nasopharyngeal tumors were treated only by radiotherapy; in the earlier period by conventional X-ray therapy, recently by 60Co telegammatherapy only. The 5-year survival rate of patients with carcinomas was 25%, of those with malignant lymphomas was 27.7%. Among carcinomas we found better results in lymphoepitheliomas, among the lymphomas in lymphocytic lymphomas. The significance is also discussed of some cofactors that may play a role in respect of prognosis, treatment and final clinical evaluation of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. (author)