Improved outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with conventional radiotherapy

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004 Dec 1;60(5):1451-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2004.05.059.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the outcome of patients with nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with conventional radiotherapy at a single institution.

Methods and materials: From 1990 to 1999, 171 consecutive patients with NPC were treated with conventional (two-dimensional) radiotherapy. Tumor histology was undifferentiated in 82% of cases. Tumor-node-metastasis Stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer 1997 system) was I in 6%, II in 36%, III in 22%, and IV in 36% of patients. Mean total radiation dose was 68.4 Gy. Chemotherapy was given to 62% of the patients. The median follow-up for surviving patients was 6.3 years (range, 3.1-13.1 years).

Results: The 5-year overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival rates were 72%, 74%, and 62%, respectively. The 5-year local, regional, and distant control rates were 84%, 80%, and 83% respectively. Late effects of radiotherapy were prospectively recorded in 100 patients surviving without relapse; 44% of these patients had Grade 3 xerostomia, 33% had Grade 3 dental damage, and 11% had Grade 3 hearing loss.

Conclusions: This analysis shows an improved outcome for patients treated from 1990 to 1999 compared with earlier retrospective series, despite the use of two-dimensional radiotherapy. Late toxicity, however, was substantial with conventional radiotherapy.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome