[Impact of treatment extending to 60 Gy on the outcome of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the impact of treatment duration on the outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
Forty-three patients with NPC were treated with definitive radiotherapy from January 1980 through May 1996. The male-to-female ratio was 32:11, and median age was 58 years (10-78 years). According to the fifth UICC classification, 4 patients were stage I, 12 were stage II, 6 were stage III, and 21 were stage IV. Twenty-nine patients received chemotherapy. Each patient was treated to various doses according to their disease extension. Thus, treatment duration was defined as the duration from the start of radiotherapy to the end of 60 Gy. The median follow-up period was 63 months (2-164 months).


RESULTS
The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates of all patients were 66% and 59%, respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival rates of the patients treated with the short treatment duration (< or = 8 weeks) and those treated with the long treatment duration (> 8 weeks) were 76% and 38%, respectively (p = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Long treatment duration may lead to poor treatment outcome in NPC.
Arakawa
Kazukiyo
K
Department of Radiology, Iida Municipal Hospital.
Shikama
Naoto
N
Sasaki
Shigeru
S
Shinoda
Atsunori
A
Nishikawa
Atsushi
A
Koiwai
Keiichirou
K
Hirase
Yuichi
Y
Okazaki
Youichi
Y
Oguchi
Masahiko
M
Kadoya
Masumi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome