Malignant nasopharyngeal tumors in children

From 1964 to 1984, 25 children with malignant tumors of the nasopharynx were seen, and their progress was followed at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Two types of malignancies: rhabdomyosarcoma and lymphoepithelioma were most prevalent with eight cases apiece. The presenting signs and symptoms were related to local and/or regional manifestations of disease. No child presented with signs or symptoms related to distant metastatic disease. The diagnosis and treatment of this series of patients are described briefly. The advent of combined treatment modalities in the past decade has improved the prognosis for nasopharyngeal tumors, especially for the rhabdomyosarcomas; in general, however, survival rates are still poor, approximating 50%.