• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.3785-3788
• /
• 2014

Purpose: To explore the clinical characteristics of bone metastasis (BM) in a large sample of preliminarily diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs). Methods: The sample consisted of 1,031 patients diagnosed with NPC at first visitg clinics between October 1989 and June 2012. Several parameters including metastasis locus, T/N staging, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of BM were analyzed retrospectively. Results: In 70 patients who had been preliminarily diagnosed with BM, the incidence of BM in N0, N1, N2 and N3 stage was 5.7%, 17.2%, 50.2%, and 25.7%, respectively, while the incidence in T0, T1, T2 and T3 stage was 0%, 23.8%, 47.6% and 28.6% respectively. BM occurred in most common in vertebral column, rib, sternum, ilium and femur. Positive rate of Epstein-Barr virus antibody was 77.6%. The median survival time was 12 months. Conclusion: The incidence of BM in NPC preliminarily diagnosed is about 7% and it is related to N classification but not T classification.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.66-69
• /
• 2011

Skull base osteoradionecrosis(ORN)is a rare complication of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but is one of the most severe and possibly fatal condition followed by radiotherapy. However, the treatment of skull base ORN has seldom been thoroughly described yet. Here we report a case of skull base ORN that was successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBO). A 52-year-old man visited our department complaining of trismus and foul odor. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer with multiple lymph node metastasis one year ago and underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy. On the physical examination, mucopus and crusts with exposed necrotic bone was seen in the right nasopharynx. On the paranasal sinus magnetic resonance imaging, osteoradionecrosis which was extending from the right nasopharynx to the clivus, petrous apex, and cavernous sinus was noted. Nasopharynx biopsy resulted of ulcer with no malignant cells. HBO therapy was performed with debridement of nasopharynx for 3 months. There was no sign of recurrence or residual ORN 18 months after HBO therapy.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.23-27
• /
• 2016

비인강암은 비인강상피에 발생한 암으로 경부전이 및 간, 폐, 뼈 등의 원격전이가 흔히 나타난다. 본 증례에서는 제 4기 병기를 가진 비인강암환자에서 항암 화학요법 및 방사선 치료 후 매우 드물게 후경부 및 액와 림프절 전이를 보인 환자를 보고하는 바이다. 진행된 병기를 보이는 비인강암 환자는 방사선 치료 후 피부전이가 종종 나타나는 현상이나 후경부 림프절 전이는 흔치 않다. 특히 액와 림프절 전이는 비인강암에서 거의 전이를 보이지 않으나 본 증례에서는 매우 드물게 액와 림프절 전이를 보여 보고하는 바이다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.1121-1126
• /
• 2013

Background: Palliative chemotherapy with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (5FU) is the commonest regimen employed for metastatic and recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, this regimen is cumbersome requiring 5 days of admission to hospital. Carboplatin/5FU may be an alternative regimen without compromising survival and response rates. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin/5FU regimen with the cisplatin/5FU regimen. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study looked at patients who had palliative chemotherapy with either cisplatin/5FU or carboplatin/5FU for metastatic and recurrent SCCHN and NPC. It included patients who were treated at UKMMC from $1^{st}$ January 2004 to $31^{st}$ December 2009 with either palliative IV cispaltin 75 $mg/m^2$ D1 only plus IV 5FU 750 $mg/m^2$ D1-5 infusion or IV Carboplatin AUC 5 D1 only plus IV 5FU 500 $mg/m^2$ D1-2 infusion plus IV 5FU 500 $mg/m^2$ D1-2 bolus. The specific objectives were to determine the efficacy of palliative chemotherapy in terms of overall response rate (ORR), median progression free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS) and to evaluate the toxicities of both regimens. Results: A total of 41 patients were eligible for this study. There were 17 in the cisplatin/5FU arm and 24 in the carboplatin/5FU arm. The ORR was 17.7 % for cisplatin/5FU arm and 37.5 % for carboplatin/5FU arm (p-value=0.304). The median PFS was 7 months for cisplatin/5FU and 9 months for carboplatin/5FU (p-value=1.015). The median OS was 10 months for cisplatin/5FU arm and 12 months for carboplatin/5FU arm (p-value=0.110). There were 6 treatment-related deaths (6/41=14.6%), four in the carboplatin/5FU arm (4/24=16.7%) and 2 in the cisplatin/5FU arm (2/17=11.8%). Grade 3 and 4 hematologic toxicity was also more common with carboplatin/5FU group, this difference being predominantly due to grade 3-4 granulocytopenia (41.6% vs. 0), grade 3-4 anemia (37.5% vs. 0) and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia (16.6% vs. 0). Conclusions: Carboplatin/5FU is not inferior to cisplatin/5FU with regard to its efficacy. However, there was a high rate of treatment-related deaths with both regimens. A better alternative needs to be considered.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.395-399
• /
• 2008

Orofacial pain and limited range of mouth opening as symptoms of temporomandibular disorder are mainly triggered by the structural and/or functional changes of temporomandibular joint and related structure itself. But careful diagnostic evaluation should be needed because they may be occurred by another pathologic conditions such as neoplasm in head and neck region. If there would be atypical pain characteristics or clinical features, systemic comorbid symptoms, or poor response to treatment, advanced imaging modalities such as CT or MRI will be mandatory for differential diagnosis. We experienced the case which was diagnosed as nasopharyngeal cancer mimicking temporomandibular disorder, and reviewed clinical considerations for proper differential diagnosis.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.100-106
• /
• 2001

Purpose : We performed a retrospective analysis to compare short term results of induction chemotherapy-radiotherapy versus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Materials and Methods : From Oct. 1989 to May 1998, 62 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (induction group) or concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (concurrent group). Induction chemotherapy was done for 50 patients, and concurrent chemotherapy for 12 patients. Age, sex, performance status, and pathologic types were evenly distributed between two groups. Stage distribution showed $32\%$ with IIB, $32\%$ with III, and $38\%$ with IV in induction group, and $50\%,\;33.3\%,\;and\;16.7\%$ in concurrent group, respectively. Chemotherapy regimen was CF (cisplatin and 5-FU) in both groups, and drug delivery method also same. Cisplatin $100\;mg/m^2$ was intravenously infused on day 1, and 5-FU $1,000\;mg/m^2$ on day $2\~6$. This was repeated at 3 weeks interval. At the end of radiotherapy, total cycles of chemotherapy were $1\~3$ (median 2) in both groups. Conventionally fractionated radiotherapy with daily fraction size $1.8\~2.0\;Gy$ and 5 fractions/week was done. Total dose was $69.4\~86\;Gy$(median 73.4 Gy) for induction group, and $69.4\~75.4\;Gy$ (median 70.8 Gy) for concurrent group. Follow-up time was $9\~116$ months (median 40.5 months) for induction group, $14\~29$ months (median 21 months) for concurrent group, respectively. Results : Overall 2 year survival rate (2YSR) for all patients was $78.7\%$. According to treatment modality, 2YSR were $77\%$ for induction group, $87\%$ for concurrent group (p>0.05). 2 year disease-free survival rate were $56\%$ and $81\%\;(p>0.05)$, respectively. Complete response to treatment were $75.5\%$ for induction group and $91.7\%$ for concurrent group, but there was no statistical difference. The incidence of grade $3\~4$ hematologic toxicity during radiotherapy was not differ between two groups, but grade 2 leukopenia was more frequent in concurrent group $(18\%\;vs\;66.7\%)$Grade $3\~4$ mucositis was more frequent in concurrent group $(4.0\%\;vs\;33.3\%)$. Overall incidence of grade $3\~4$ acute toxicity during radiotherapy was more frequent in concurrent group $(6.0\%\;vs\;41.7\%,\;p=0.005)$. Conclusion : Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy showed a trend of improvement in short-term survival and in treatment response when compared with induction chemotherapy-radiotherapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. More controlled randomized trial are needed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.177-182
• /
• 1990

From 1984 to 1988, fourty two patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were treated at the Department of Radiation Oncology in Kyungpook National University Hospital. Thirteen patients refused treatment and the median survival time was 7.8 months. Twenty nine patients received a full course of radiation at least 70 Gy to the primary site and 60 Gy to the nodal sites. These patients were all belonged to stage III or IV, The local control rate was $75\% in squamous cell carcinomas, and all the patients with lymphoepithelioma showed a complete response. Overall locoregional failure was $27.6\%. Distant metastasis was the predominant pattern of failures; 4/6 in lymphoepithelioma, 4/10 En squamous cell carcinoma. The Three-year-survival rate for squamous cell carcinoma was $40.5\%$, and for lymphoepithelioma $25.9\%, respectively. This may be due to the more frequent distant metastases in lymphoepithelioma and ineffective chemotherapy. No survival correlation was found with the level of neck node involvement. Though adjuvant chemotherapy was found to be of no benefit in overall survival, more prudent and aggressive chemotherapy would be necessary.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.183-188
• /
• 1990

Between January 197l and December 1987, 113 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) were treated by radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in the department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Hospital. There were 19 patients under thirty years of age. The histology was undifferentiated carcinoma in $68\%$ of the younger patients as compared to $47\%$ of the older patients. Sex, stage, initial symptoms and treatment modalities differed little from those of older patients. In younger patients, the initial complete response rate was $79\%$ as compared to older patients with $54\%$, distant metastases were more common and the overall five year survival rate was not significantly different between the two age groups ($33.7\%$ for the young vs. $37.4\%$ for the old). The five year survival rates for stage III and IV were $60.0\%$ and $24.5\%$, respectively. Histologic subtype was not correlated with survival. The best survival was found only in patients who obtained a complete clearance of disease after radiation therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.2747-2751
• /
• 2014

Background: DNA repair pathways play a crucial role in maintaining the human genome. Previous studies associated DNA repair gene polymorphisms (XPD Lys751Gln, XRCC1 Arg280His and XRCC1 Arg399Gln) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These non-synonymous polymorphisms may alter DNA repair capacity and thus increase or decrease susceptibility. The present study aimed to determine the genotype distribution of XPD codon 751, XRCC1 codon 280 and codon 399 polymorphisms and haplotype associations among NPC cases and controls in the Malaysian population. Materials and Methods: We selected 157 NPC cases and 136 controls from two hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for this study. The polymorphisms studied were genotyped by PCR-RFLP assay and allele and genotype frequenci es, haplotype and linkage disequilibrium were determined using SNPstat software. Results: For the XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism, the frequency of the Lys allele was higher in cases than in controls (94.5% versus 85.0%). For the XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism, the frequency of Arg allele was 90.0% and 89.0% in cases and controls, respectively and for XRCC1 Arg399Gln the frequency of the Arg allele was 72.0% and 72.8% in cases and controls respectively. All three polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium. The odds ratio from haplotype analysis for these three polymorphisms and their association with NPC was 1.93 (95%CI: 0.90-4.16) for haplotype CGC vs AGC allele combinations. The global haplotypte association with NPC gave a p-value of 0.054. Conclusions: Our study provides an estimate of allele and genotype frequencies of XRCC1Arg280His, XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XPD Lys751Gln polymorphisms in the Malaysian population and showed no association with nasopharyngeal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.24
• /
• pp.10985-10989
• /
• 2015

Background: The capability for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair is crucial for inherent radiosensitivity of tumor and normal cells. We have investigated the clinicopathologic significance of DNA repair gene expression in nasopharyngeal (NP) carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A total of 65 NP cancer patients who received radiotherapy were included. The immunopositivity to Ku 70, DNA-PKcs, MRN, RAD50, XRCC4, and LIG4 were examined in all tumor tissues. Results: The patients comprised 42 males and 23 females, with a median age of 56 years (range, 18-84). The expression levels of RAD50 (0,+1,+2,+3) were 27.7%, 32.3%, 21.5%, and 18.5%. LIG4 (${\pm}$) were 43.1% and 56.9% respectively. The 5-year OS rate of patients with LIG4 (${\pm}$) were 90% and 67.9%, respectively (p=0.035). The 5-year TTP rate of patients with LIG4 (${\pm}$) were 75.9%, 55.5%, respectively (P=0.039). Conclusions: Our results suggest the possibility of predicting the radiosensitivity of NP cancer by performing immunohistochemical analysis of LIG4.