Nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by radical radiotherapy alone: Ten-year experience of a single institution.
OBJECTIVE
To report on our experience in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by radical radiotherapy alone in our institution during the last decade.


METHODS
From January 1990 to May 1999, 905 NPC patients were treated and were studied retrospectively. Radical radiotherapy was given to this cohort by conventional technique in a routine dose of 70-72 Gy to the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes. In case of residual primary lesion, a boost dose of 8-24 Gy was delivered by either 192Ir afterloading brachytherapy, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, conformal radiotherapy, or small external-beam fields.


RESULTS
The 5-year and 10-year local-regional control, overall survival, and disease-free survival rates were 81.7% and 76.7%, 76.1% and 66.5%, 58.4% and 52.1%, respectively. In case of residual primary lesions after a dose of 70-72 Gy of conventional external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), an additional boost was able to achieve a local control of 80.8%, similar to that obtained with primary lesions that completely disappeared at 70-72 Gy (82.6%, p = 0.892).


CONCLUSIONS
The treatment results of radical EBRT followed by a boost dose to the residual primary tumor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in our institution are promising.
Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Jun-lin
JL
Yi
Li
L
Gao
Xiao-dong
XD
Huang
Su-yan
SY
Li
Jin-wei
JW
Luo
Wei-ming
WM
Cai
Jian-ping
JP
Xiao
Guo-zhen
GZ
Xu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes