Clinical analysis of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 145 children and adolescents / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics,treatment,outcome and complications of child and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods From January 1970 to April 1997, the records of 145 NPC patients younger than 21 years of age were reviewed. The clinical stages according to 92'Chinese NPC Staging System were :stageⅠin 1, Ⅱin 8, Ⅲ in 79 and Ⅳ in 57. All patients were treated with external beam radiotherapy. Before 1988, parallel opposed lateral pre-auricular portals were chiefly used in 75 patients and after 1988, parallel opposed lateral facio-cervical portals were adopted in 70. The radiation dose to the primary tumor ranged 45-80?Gy: 70?Gy in 50 cases and 32 of them also received chemotherapy. Results Distant metastasis developed in 26 cases, while local and/or regional recurrence in 14. The actuarial overall survival rates of 1-, 3-, 5, and 10-years were 96.3%, 79.9%, 76.5% and 69.4%, respectively. Among 45 dead cases, 16 did so of metastasis, 11 of local and/or regional recurrence and 18 of other reasons. Univariate analysis suggested that clinical stage, size and site of involved lymph nodes, skull base involvement were significant prognostic factors of survival, whereas sex、age、dose、therapeutic method and chemotherapy were not. Conclusions 1. Even though the majority of pediatric and adolescent NPC were advanced, it signifies a relatively good survival. 2. As the normal tissue of pediatric and adolescent patients tolerates radiation poorly, prudence should be meticulously practiced in deciding the radiation dose and radiotherapeutic fields.