[Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. An epidemiological and clinical study]

Clinical and epidemiological data from 46 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma retrieved from our E.N.T. department data base are analysed. These tumors represent about 5% of all head and neck carcinomas seen at our department between 1984 and 1989. Neither geographic origin nor occupation of patients have proved significant to the epidemiological analysis. Patients are most frequently in their sixth decade of life at presentation, with a clear male predominance, but not as marked as in other locations of head and neck tumours. As in other series, a significant relationship between nasopharyngeal tumours and alcohol and tobacco consumption has been discarded. Most patients were in good condition at diagnosis. Sublocation (usually on the lateral and/or posterior walls of the nasopharynx), predominance of undifferentiated carcinomas and isolated neck adenopathy as presenting symptom, are all features found in our series as well as in other reports. In contrast, the time between first symptom and diagnosis has been moderately longer in our patients. Cranial nerve and base of skull involvement have been found in 20% and 37% of cases, respectively. A great proportion of patients present with advanced disease: T3-T4 tumours in 67%; clinically detectable adenopathy in 69.5%; and distant metastasis in 4.3% of cases. Almost 75% of our patients showed stage IV disease at diagnosis.