[Pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Anatomoclinic aspects, therapeutic results and evolutive particularities]

Cancer Radiother. 2010 Jun;14(3):169-75. doi: 10.1016/j.canrad.2010.01.003. Epub 2010 Mar 27.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Purpose: We retrospectively analyzed anatomoclinic, therapeutic and evolutive particularities of 74 young patients (< or =20 years) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated between 1993 and 2005.

Patients and methods: Initial work-up included a fiberoptic nasofibroscopy with biopsy, tomodensitometry and/or MRI of nasopharynx and neck, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasonography and bone scan. Patients were treated with either primary chemotherapy (epirubicin and cisplatin) followed by radiotherapy or concomitant radiochemotherapy (five fluorouracil and cisplatin). Radiotherapy was delivered to a total dose of 70 to 75 Gy to nasopharynx and involved cervical lymph nodes and 50 Gy to the remainder cervical areas.

Results: The median age was 16 years. Sixty-three percent of patients had undifferentiated tumors. Sixty-six percent had locally advanced tumor. With a median follow-up of 107 months, one patient presented a local relapse, 24 patients developed distant metastases with a median delay of 7 months. The 5 years overall survival and disease-free survival were 66 and 65 %. Late complications were dominated by dry mouth and endocrine disorders.

Comments: Pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma is characterized by an early metastatic diffusion. Local control is excellent but with severe late toxicities. New techniques of radiotherapy and new molecules of chemotherapy could improve these results.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Bleomycin / administration & dosage
  • Carcinoma / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma / epidemiology*
  • Carcinoma / radiotherapy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Child
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Cobalt Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Epirubicin / administration & dosage
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / radiotherapy
  • Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / etiology
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / chemically induced
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / etiology
  • Radioisotope Teletherapy* / adverse effects
  • Radiotherapy, Conformal
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Xerostomia / epidemiology
  • Xerostomia / etiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Cobalt Radioisotopes
  • Bleomycin
  • Epirubicin
  • Cisplatin
  • Fluorouracil