[Cancer of the nasal cavity].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the factors affecting prognosis of patients with nasal carcinoma.


METHODS
163 patients treated from 1985 to 1998 were analyzed. The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier estimate and the comparison between groups by Log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was carried out by Cox proportional hazard model.


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival rate was 58.2%. The 5-year survival rate was 55.8% in squamous-cell carcinoma, 44.0% in adenocarcinoma, 59.7% in undifferentiated carcinoma, 76.3% in adenoid cystic carcinoma, 71.4% in mucoepidermoid carcinoma, 25.0% in rhabdomyosarcoma, 26.7% in malignant melanoma, 50.0% in neuroblastoma (P > 0.05). Patients with cervical metastasis gave a 5-year survival of 53.5% while those without gave 58.9% (P > 0.05). Patients with involvement of sphenoidal sinus or maxillary sinus gave the worse survival. The 5-year survival rate was 73.8% in patients whose cancer completely disappeared after treatment. It was 41.6% in patients whose cancer incompletely disappeared, and 34.3% in patients whose cancer remained refractory (P < 0.01). The 5-year survival was 78.3% in stage I disease, 56.4% in stage II disease, 54.2% in stage III and 35.9% in stage IV (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate of patients who were treated with radiotherapy only was 56.9%. That of patients who were treated with surgery only was 56.6%. That with chemotherapy only was 25.0% whereas that of patients treated with combination treatment was 61.8% (P > 0.05). So far, 85 patients have died up to writing this report, 57.6% (49 patients) of recurrence or uncontrolled.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical stage, immediate therapeutic response and involvement of sphenoidal or maxillary sinus; but not the pathologic type, the presence of cervical metastasis nor the method of treatment, are the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with nasal carcinoma. Recurrence and uncontrolled disease are the cause of death.
Hu
Wei-han
WH
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China. huweihan@163.com
Xie
Fang-yun
FY
Fang
Sheng-hua
SH
Jiao
Jing-jun
JJ
Yan
Cong
C
Peng
Wan-jun
WJ
Fu
Xiao-ying
XY
Zhang
Feng
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009296:Nasal Cavity; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate