title: A retrospective study of salvage surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is sensitive to radiotherapy. When there is local relapse, re-irradiation treatment is inevitably associated with serious complications and decreased quality of life. Surgical resection offers an alternative treatment option with acceptable morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one consecutive patients with primary recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation underwent nasopharyngectomy from January 1, 1990 to June 30, 2006. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 127 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The actuarial 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 88.1, 62.1, 48.9, and 42.1%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year local control rates were 74.6, 61.9, 56.3, and 53.5%, respectively. There was no surgical mortality. The 3-year overall survival rates for recurrent T1, T2, T3, and T4 disease after surgery were 56, 61.1, 30.6, and 0%, respectively; the corresponding 5-year overall survival rates were 49.1, 24.7, 0, and 0%, respectively. Other prognostic factors with a negative effect on survival include lymph node metastasis, invasion of skull base and parapharyngeal space, and positive margin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advances in skull base surgery make possible the effective control of primary recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma for patients with rT1 and rT2 stages, with acceptable mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Military General Hospital of Beijing, Dongshiliutiao Road, Beijing, China. yexiaodan100@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lianming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate