[Clinical and evolutive aspects of nasopharyngeal T4 N0 neoplasms]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the primary cancer of the head and neck localisations in the Salah Azaiz Institute (Tunisia). From 1970 to 1987, 80 patients with histologically proven T4 N0 NPC, were treated with exclusive radiation (70-75 Gy to the primary lesion and 50-55 Gy to cervical lymph nodes). The T4 N0 represents 7% of all NPC and 16% of the T4 treated in our Institute. Ninety percent of the patients are over 20 years old with a mean age of 52 years. The sex-ratio was 4:1. Extension to the brain was observed in 55% of the cases. Local control was 70% at 2 months after the end of irradiation. The actuarial survival at 5 years was 47%. Distant metastasis represent 13% (30% of all NPC). The main failure of treatment was local recurrence. The T4 N0 is probably a particular entity concerning the age, the response to radiotherapy and the low rate of distant metastasis.