title: [Treatment results of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adults].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare tumor entity in Germany in contrast to endemic countries in Asia or Africa. This retrospective study investigated patient characteristics and prognostic factors with respect to different NPC treatment strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 63 NPC patients treated during the period 1990-2009 at the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the patients was 56.4 years, the male:female ratio was 3.2:1, 23.8% were in Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) stage I/II and 76.2% were in stage III/IV. Most of the carcinomas were WHO type III (57.1%), followed by World Health Organization (WHO) type II (33.3%) and at last WHO type I (9.6%). The 5-year overall survival rate after concomitant chemoradiotherapy (RCT) was 75% and after radiotherapy (RT) 60%. The mortality rate increased by 3.5 times with each increase in T-stage (p ≤ 0.047). The recurrence rate (RR) after RCT was 34% and after RT alone 68% (p ≤ 0.04). Tumor ablation increased the RR significantly (p ≤ 0.047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined chemotherapy and RT is an effective treatment of NPC disease and clearly superior to RT alone. Tumor ablation before RCT/RT worsens the prognosis and is now obsolete.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde/Chirurgie, Uniklinik Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105, Bonn, Deutschland. markjakob@me.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herberhold
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schröck
authors.forename: A O H
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Gerstner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schüller
authors.forename: K W G
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult