Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

-A study on recurrent cases-

Abstract

The clinical courses of 22 patients with malignant tumors of the nasopharynx, treated at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, were investigated. Nine of them developed local recurrence and three of them showed metastasis to the cervical lymphnodes after the initial irradiation therapy. When the local recurrence was appeared, re-irradiation only was not so effective. Combination of treatment such as the local injection of oil-suspended bleomycin, radon-seeds implantation or cryosurgery was more effective. Fenestration into the palate is necessary to perform those kinds of treatment by observing the nasopharyngeal lesion directly.
Five cases out of nine recurrent cases were effectively treated. Two of them were intensively treated by the combination of local treatments mentioned above. One of them survived more than 8.5 years, the other died of distant metastasis after 3.5 years.
As a result of these observations, the authors considered it very difficult to control the local recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, however, intensive therapy by the combination of several local managements might have the effect to prolong the survival period of these areas.