Prognostic factors in epipharyngeal tumors

From 1948 through 1977, 151 patients with an epipharyngeal tumor underwent radiation therapy at our department. A retrospective analysis was made reviewing treatment results and prognostic features. The 5-year survival rate of the total group amounted to 39%, the 10-year survival to 27%. Tumor stage and histology were confirmed as the preponderant factors in prognostication. Stage T1-2 cases had a 5-year survival rate of 57%, which decreased to 46% if unilateral lymph node metastases had occurred, and down to 17% in case of bilateral metastasition to the lymph nodes. Of stage T3-4 patients, 45% survived during 5 years. Lymphoepithelial carcinoma, with a 5-year survival rate of 54%, had a better prognosis then squamous cell carcinoma (47%), transitional cell carcinoma (30%) and reticulum cell sarcoma (30%). A review of the results other authors have obtained since 1956 with combinations of surgical and irradiation methods gives evidence that the efficiency of techniques confined to local or regional treatment has reached its limits. At present, further improvement may be achieved mainly by means of systematically applied adjuvant chemotherapy complementary to the general therapeutic concept. (orig.)