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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adolescents: a retrospective review of 42 patients

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcome of adolescent patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) disease. The study concerned 46 pediatric NPC patients treated during the period 1999–2002 at the National Institute of Oncology, Rabat. The median age of the patients was 16 years. The male/female ratio was 2.8/1. Histologically, all patients had undifferentiated carcinoma. A total of 93% presented nodal metastasis. Four (9%) had distant metastasis. All patients received neoadjuvant multiagent chemotherapy containing cisplatin, followed by radiotherapy. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to evaluate prognostic factors. The log-rank test was used to evaluate the differences between the groups. While none of the patients had locoregional failure, nine patients (29%) developed distant metastasis. The disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) rate for the entire group were 73 and 41%, respectively. Responders to chemotherapy had superior OS (P < 0.001). We suggest that combined modality management using multi-agent chemotherapy and RT as an effective treatment of NPC disease which will achieve satisfactory locoregional control and OS of NPC pediatric patients. Response to chemotherapy was an important prognostic factor.

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Acknowledgment

We sincerely thanks Mohammed Ismaili, Professor of Microbiology at Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, Morocco

    Said Afqir, Nabil Ismaili, Khaoula Alaoui & Hassan Errihani

  2. Department of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Rabat, Morocco

    Samir Ahid & Redouane Abouqal

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France

    Jean-Pierre Lotz

  4. School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Elizabeth Horn

  5. Department of Radiotherapy, National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, Morocco

    Touria Bouhafa

  6. 79, Rue 15, Hay Alamane Tranche 2, 50000, Meknes, Morocco

    Nabil Ismaili

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  1. Said Afqir
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Correspondence to Nabil Ismaili.

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Afqir, S., Ismaili, N., Alaoui, K. et al. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adolescents: a retrospective review of 42 patients. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 266, 1767–1773 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-009-0911-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-009-0911-1

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