title: Salvage surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results of salvage surgery for patients with primary recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen consecutive patients with primary recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation failure underwent nasopharyngectomy for cure via a facial translocation approach from July 1, 1993, to December 31, 1999. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 71 months. Five patients with skull base invasion required a combined neurosurgical approach to treatment. Seven patients had additional postoperative radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The actuarial 3-year survival was 57%, while the local control was 78%. Four of 5 patients who had skull base invasion achieved local control. There was no surgical mortality, and the morbidity was 22%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advances in skull base surgery make possible the effective control of primary recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with acceptable mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyua, Taiwan, Republic of China. shengpo@adm.cgmh.org.tw
authors.forename: Sheng-Po
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Ngan-Ming
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Chen-Nen
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D010611:Pharyngectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis