title: [Relationship between cranial nerve involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the prognosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the feature of cranial nerve involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship with the prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1892 patients who were diagnosed as NPC in our hospital from January 2002 to December 2003, of which the cranial nerve involvement was 183 (9.6%) patients, were analyzed the effect of cranial nerve involvement on the prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of cranial nerve involvement was 9.4%. The 5 year overall survival rate was 61.0%, disease free survival rate was 55.3%, local relapse free survival rate was 75.2% and distant metastasis free survival rate was 73.4%. Periods of cranial nerve involvement, clinical stage, the diameter of the lymph nodes, involvement of cavernous sinus, and the level of the recovery of cranial nerve involvement were significantly associated with prognosis in univariate analysis(P < 0.05). With multivariate analysis, the recovery level of cranial nerve involvement was the independent factor that affected the 5-year overall survival (RR = 2.087). The diameter of the lymph nodes and involvement of cavernous sinus were the independent factors that affected the 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (RR = 1.954 and 2.136, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periods of cranial nerve involvement and the level of the recovery of cranial nerve involvement were significantly correlated with prognosis. Involvement of cavernous sinus could increase the rate of distant metastasis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
authors.forename: Wenjin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Haoyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Manquan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Haiqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Minghuang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult