Analysis of the Prognosis and the Causes of Death in 203 Cases with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Between 1981 to 1992 we treated 203 patients （ 160 males and 43 female, mean age 47 years） with nasopharyngeal carcinoma by radiotherapy. Stage distribution were Ⅰ 7,Ⅱ 84,Ⅲ72, Ⅳ a 34, and Ⅳb 6. The actuarial five year survivat rate of all patients were 51.4%（72/140）, for stage Ⅰ it was 100% and stage Ⅱ 76.2%, stage Ⅲ36.6%, stage Ⅳa 16%, and none was survival for the patients of stage Ⅳb, The main cause of death was hematogenous metastasis（81%, 42/52）. The staus of cervical lymphonode metastasis was related with blood spreading.The rate of blood spreading for group N₃ was 86.9%（20/23）. The combined treatment with chemotherapy could decrease the hematogenous metastasis rate. The local recurrence after treatment was 2l. 8%（38/174）, and the local control rate for the second course of treatment was 28.9%（11/38）.