NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA IN TUNISIAN CENTRE: ABOUT 712 CASES LE CANCER DU CAVUM DANS LE CENTRE TUNISIEN: A PROPOS DE 712 CAS

Sarra Ouni*, Nadia Bouzid, Nourra Khaireddine, Mohamed Abdelkefi and Noureddine Bouaouina

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The current retrospective study detail the various epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the center of Tunisia. Materials and Methods: The study concerned 712 patients with confirmed NPC treated between 1995 and 2013 in department of radiation oncology Hospital Farhat Hached of Sousse and the medical center Ibn Khaldoun Hammam Sousse. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan Meier method, and the differences were compared with the log rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox regression model to identify independent factors. Results: The median age at presentation was 47 years, the most common presenting symptom was a palpable neck lump (70, 9%) and the median duration of symptoms was 7, 2 months. The predominant histological type was undifferentiated carcinoma (UCNT). According to the classification TNM 2010, the tumors are divided into T1 in 43.3% of cases, T2 in 25%, T3-T4 in 30, 6%. 7, 3% of patients was metastatic at presentation (bone metastasis 90, 3%). the 5-year overall survival, recurrence-free survival and metastasis-free survival were, respectively, 60.3%, 89.2% and 80.1%. Conclusion: In our series were noted good results in terms of local control and overall survival. The treatment is mainly based on the multimodal chemotherapy and radiotherapy association. High radiation doses are associated with excellent local control at the cost of late toxicities which become more important for the young population.

Keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Radiotherapy; Chemotherapy; Prognostic Factors.