title: Effect of primary tumour volumes in early T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between primary tumour volumes and treatment outcomes in early T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of 52 newly diagnosed patients of early T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were treated with high-dose radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computed tomography-derived primary tumour volume was obtained following the summation of area technique. The cancer-related survival according to T stage and primary tumour volumes was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median primary tumour volume was 5.48 mL in T1 disease, 17.95 mL in T2a disease, and 19.15 mL in T2b disease, with a range of 3.23 to 9.65 mL in T1 disease, 6.31 to 64.54 mL in T2a disease, and 11.27 to 131.82 mL in T2b disease. Large primary tumour volume was associated with a significantly poor disease-specific survival (p = .0003), whereas the T stage that segregated into T2a and T2b carried no prognostic significance (p = .441).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial variation of primary tumour volume was present within the T2a and T2b stages, and primary tumour volume represented a more important prognostic factor. Volumetric measurements of primary tumours in early T-stage nasopharyngeal tumours would better refine the tumour, node, metastasis staging system. Patients with large primary tumour volume should be treated more aggressively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mu-Kuan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mu-Tai
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hwa-Koon
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kai-Lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed