Prognostic factors in 677 patients in Singapore with nondisseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Derrick M. K. Heng; Joseph Wee; Kam-Weng Fong; Lay-Geok Lian; V. K. Sethi; Eu-Tiong Chua; Tuck-Loong Yang; Hoon-Seng Khoo Tan; Kim-Shang Lee; Khai-Mun Lee; Terence Tan; Eu-Jin Chua

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 105 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19991115)86:10<1912::aid-cncr6>3.0.co;2-s

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

The objective of the current study was to describe the survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in Singapore, verify the prognostic value of the revised 1997 TNM staging system, and develop a multivariate prognostic model for NPC. In addition, the authors also examined the prognostic value of characteristics of lymph node spread and parapharyngeal involvement.

METHODS.

A prospectively maintained database containing clinical and computed tomography scan data was used to reclassify 677 NPC patients treated between 1992 and 1994 according to the new staging system. Records were linked with the death registry to ascertain the patient's vital status and date of death. Overall and stage specific survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used to obtain prognostic models.

RESULTS.

Two hundred seventy-four deaths (40.5%) occurred. The 5-year survival rate was 56.6% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 52.3%, 60.7%).