[Treatment results of Schmincke tumors]

This is a report on the results of a continuous series of 78 previously untreated patients with a lymphoepithelioma (Schmincke-Regaud), who got their diagnosis and therapy in the Medical Center of the University of Kiel between 1951 and 1980. 90% of the patients were treated by radiotherapy alone, which included the primary in the oropharynx (n = 29) or the nasopharynx (n = 48) as well as the regional lymph nodes regardless of whether they were affected (71%) or not; residual lymph nodes of 8 cases were removed afterwards. Thereby a clinically full regression of the tumor disease was achieved in 85%. This group revealed a constant actuarial survival of 39% 7 years later. All therapy failures however, died within two years. The probability to remain free of disease after a primarily successful treatment amount to 86% for the oropharynx tumors (n = 24) and to only 29% for the nasopharynx lesions (n = 31). The analysis of the relapses especially with regard to the nasopharynx tumors showed that in most cases the disease was already very extended at the beginning of the treatment (stage IV according to the UICC-classification). The actuarial survival of this numerous group fell down to a constant rate of 16%, whereas stages I to III finally survive in 59%. The corresponding survival values of the oropharynx tumors were 25% in stage IV and 41% in stages I to III including a lot of age-related deaths. Drawing conclusions out of our retrospective study we recommended to add an appropriate chemotherapy for lymphoepitheliomas of the nasopharynx in stage IV.