Intrathoracic spread of nasopharyngeal cancer

✍ Scribed by Constantin G. Papavasiliou

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1968
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 400 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(196805)21:5<940::aid-cncr2820210518>3.0.co;2-4

✦ Synopsis

Following treatment of primary cancer of the nasopharynx, 15% of patients developed pulmonary deposits during the subsequent course of the disease. In the majority of cases chest roentgenogram findings and the clinical picture suggested that pulmonary metastases, located mainly in the hili, occurred by lymphangitic spread through the neck and mediastinum. This type of spread was associated with an unusually frequent development of concurrent hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Radiotherapy appears often to be of palliative value.

LTHOUGH THE LITERATURE CONCERNING CAN-

A cer of the nasopharynx has been rapidly increasing recently, the problems related to metastatic pulmonary involvement have not received wide consideration. This report is presented in the belief that pulmonary metastases from cancer of the nasopharynx present unusual clinical features, characteristic roentgenologic findings and challenging therapeutic problems.

Our experience is based on 14 patients with pulmonary metastases among 93 patients