Early, late symptoms and histological type of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

After a wide literature review, we retrospectively analyzed the accurately recorded early onset and late symptoms at first diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a series of 85 patients. Thirty-seven (44%) and 48 (56% ) of cases had a squamous (SCC) and undifferentiated (UCNT) histological NP C subtype, respectively. Thirteen (15%), 21 (25%) and 51 (60%) of cases wer e T2, T3 and T4, respectively. The involvement of locoregional lymph nodes resulted significantly more frequent in UCNT with respect to SCC (35% versu s 18% respectively; p<0.05). Overall, the early onset symptoms were represe nted by locoregional lymph node enlargement in 35% of cases; nasal symptoms in 32%, otological symptoms in 36%, while neurological symptoms were repor ted in only 2% of cases. On the contrary, symptoms at first diagnosis were more frequently represented by lymph node enlargement (53%) and nasal sympt oms (68%) which were the symptoms effectively conducting the patients to th e specialist. A protocol for management of ORL symptomatic patients accordi ng to the incidence of described early onset and at first diagnosis symptom s is suggested.