Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. An analysis of 100 Chinese patients

Clinical manifestations in the first 100 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma to attend the ENT outpatient clinic at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, commencing in February 1986, are presented. All tumours were non-keratinising or anaplastic carcinomas, World Health Organisation types 2 and 3. Cervical lymphadenopathy was the commonest presenting complaint (43%), followed by nasal symptoms (32%) and aural symptoms (18%). On clinical examination 73% had cervical lymph node metastases, and 72% of patients were in stages III-V at presentation. Trivialisation of the symptoms by the patient and delay by the referring physician contributed to lateness of diagnosis.