[Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: epidemiology and treatment outcome].

OBJECTIVE

To determine epidemiology, symptoms and treatment results of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

DESIGN

Descriptive and retrospective.

SETTING

The Dutch Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

METHODS

The clinical, epidemiological and radiotherapy data of the 129 patients with a nasopharyngeal carcinoma referred between 1977 and 1993 to our hospital were analysed. Twenty patients were referred for a second opinion only, presented with recurrent disease, or had received their treatment elsewhere. Data of 109 patients were analysed.

RESULTS

During the last decade more patients born in Asia and North-Africa were referred (p = 0.0057), a total of 52 (48%) out of 109 referred patients. There were 62 (58%) patients in whom an enlarged cervical lymph node at level II (upper jugular group) was the presenting symptom. In 53 (50%) cases hearing loss due to otitis media with effusion was the first symptom. In 54 (54%) patients the delay between the first symptoms and diagnosis of carcinoma was > 20 weeks. 5-year survival was 48% (SE 6%) for the whole group (n = 109) of patients and 52% (SE 6%) for the patients treated with curative intent (n = 96).

CONCLUSION

During the last decade the population of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the Netherlands contained more patients from Asia and North-Africa. Suspicious cervical lymph node swellings and (or) (unilateral) otitis media with effusion may be indicative of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma.