Cancer of the nasopharynx in children

Abstract

The authors present 15 children with cancer of the nasopharynx. Of seven patients with primary epidermoid carcinomas, only two are alive and well. Only one of four patients with a primary soft tissue sarcoma is alive and well. Two of four patients with lymphoma of the nasopharynx are alive and well. All deaths were due to uncontrolled distant metastases. Only one patient (rhabdomyosarcoma) died with uncontrolled local disease. Radiotherapy to the primary and neck is recommended for all children with primary malignancy of the nasopharynx. Adjuvant chemotherapy may also be of value for all patients regardless of histopathology.

Treatment results of 59 young patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

“…Childhood nasopharyngeal cancer comprise of 7.2% in Turkey, whereas 1-2% in China, 2.4% in UK, 10% in USA, 12% in Israel, 13% in Kenya, 14.5% in Tunisia, and 18% in Uganda [1,4,[7][8][9][31][32][33][34]. Twenty-four percent crude rate of our institutionally treated nasopharynx patients were 30 years old, mainly owing to being a tertiary reference center.…”

“…Nasopharyngeal cancers comprise approximately 1% of all childhood cancers and 40-50% of all malignancies involving the nasopharynx in children [1][2][3]. As the racial and geographic factors alter the incidence of pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to a great extent, in areas such as North Africa and the Mediterranean basin, up to 17% of nasopharynx cancer cases occur in children [4,5].…”

“…As the racial and geographic factors alter the incidence of pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to a great extent, in areas such as North Africa and the Mediterranean basin, up to 17% of nasopharynx cancer cases occur in children [4,5]. Although NPC present mostly in the fourth to fifth decade, the classic age incidence graph is bimodal, with an initial peak in 15-25 years of age [1,[6][7][8][9]. The undifferentiated carcinoma (World Health Organization Type III) is the most common histologic type seen in the young, mainly associated with advanced locoregional disease at presentation and a higher distant metastasis prevalence [2,3,10].…”

High‐dose‐rate brachytherapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment of nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma in childhood

“…Several publications reported that the majority of disease recurrences were either outside the margin or at the margin of the treatment portals. 11,13,27,28 Patients usually present with the undifferentiated histologic type and with advanced locoregional disease at diagnosis, and distant metastasis becomes a major obstacle in curing children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Clearly, there is a need for early, effective, systemic therapy.…”

Radiotherapy for Symptomatic Metastases to Bone in Children

“…The propensity of another rare childhood tumor, carcinoma of the nasopharynx, to metastasize to bone has already been reported. [23][24][25] Wilm's tumor, which is one of the more common childhood malignancies, rarely metastasizes to bone. 26,27 Only one child in this series had a primary Wilm's tumor.…”