title: [Impact of treatment extending to 60 Gy on the outcome of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Iida Municipal Hospital.
authors.forename: Kazukiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shikama
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Keiichirou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koiwai
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirase
authors.forename: Youichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadoya
mesh_terms: 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