[Esthesioneuroblastomas. Could a preoperative chemotherapy improve their prognosis?]

The prognosis of malignant tumours of the olfactory epithelium of the nasal vault stays very poor. In the literature, the 5-year actuarial survival rate ranges between 50% and 65%; the 5-year recovery rate is 15% due to the high frequency of locoregional reoccurrences (60%) and metastasis (35-40%). Up to now chemotherapy was suggested as palliative treatment; but as Esthesioneuroblastomas (ETNB) appear to be sensitive to several chemotherapeutic agents (such as CDDP and 5-FU), we have decided to administer, from now on, to all patients harbouring an ETNB, an inductive chemotherapy whatever the staging and eventual diffusion of the tumour. The present paper presents our recent experience, dealing with such lesions: since 1984, 60 tumours of the ethmoid were treated in our department among which 7 ETNB (11.5%). We discuss our results concerning ETNB.