[Carcinoma of the nasopharynx in Cantabria]

To describe the incidence and main clinicopathologic features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Cantabria, Spain, and compare these data with reports published in Spain.

The medical records of all patients with the diagnosis of NPC seen in our division in the last 20 years were reviewed.

Eighty-two patients ranging in age from 11 to 84 years were diagnosed as NPC. Sixty-five (79.3%) were males. The initial physical examination of the nasopharynx was normal in 7% of patients. The most frequent presenting complaint was the presence of a neck mass in 47% of cases. Forty percent of patients had cranial nerve involvement and 4.9% had distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. The lateral wall was the most frequent tumor location. The histopathological type was undifferentiated carcinoma in 71% of cases. Most patients had advanced-stage disease at the first visit.

The incidence of NPC in Cantabria is 0.8 per 100.000 inhabitants per year. The highest incidence rate occurred in persons 50 to 70 years-old. Males predominated with a male: female ratio of 4:1. Undifferentiated carcinoma was the most frequent histological type. Our findings were similar to those reported in other series of patients with NPC in Spain.