CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT OF RECURRENT AND OR METASTATIC NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA - A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 40 CASES

Authors carried out a review of 40 cases of recurrent and/or metastati c nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with cisplatin-based chemothe rapy at the Division of Othorhinolaryngology and the Service of Chemot herapy of the University of Palermo between July 1984 and July 1992. A ll patients were treated with regimens comprising high dose cisplatin (80- 100 mg m-2). Histologically there were 29 squamous cell and 11 un differentiated NPC. Thirty-nine patients were evaluable for response a nd toxicity. The overall response rate was 64%, with a 20.5% complete response rate and a 43.5% partial response rate. The mean duration of complete reponses was 10.2 + months, while that of partial responses w as 8.6 + months. The mean survival of the whole group was 11.4 + month s, with four patients alive after 2 years of follow-up. No statistical ly significant difference in response rate and survival was found betw een patients with metastatic disease and those with locoregional recur rency, and between patients with squamous cell NPC and those with undi fferentiated histology. The employed regimens have been generally well tolerated. These data confirm that NPC is a neoplasm highly reponsive to chemotherapy. However, duration of objective response and survival are still largely unsatisfactory.