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Transcervical endoscopic retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) dissection in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with RPLN
You-Ping Liu1,2, Shun-Lan Wang3, Xiong Zou1,2
1Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Surgical access for retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) dissection is difficult. We aimed to examine the efficacy of transcervical endoscopic RPLN dissection (TSE-RPLND) for recurrent RPLN in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
Methods:
From April 2013 to February 2019, a total of 31 patients with NPC diagnosed with RPLN recurrence underwent TSE-RPLND. The clinical characteristics, complications, and survival outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.
Results:
The mean duration of surgery, quantity of bleeding and postoperative hospitalization stay were 347.9 minutes, 107.7 mL, and 8.7 days, respectively. After a median follow-up of 31.0 months, the 2-year locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 63.9%, 95.2%, 59.9%, and 83.3%, respectively. The long-term incidences of swallowing problems, permanent nutrient tube, tongue atrophy, and shoulder problems were 6 (19.4%), 3 (9.7%), 3 (9.7%), and 3 (9.7%), respectively.
Conclusions:
TSE-RPLND is an effective method to treat RPLN recurrence in NPC, but nerve injury-related complications should not be ignored.
