The national cancer data base report on the relationship of race and national origin to the histology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND The development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma reflects interactions of genetics, diet, and viral agents. It is more common in Asians than non‐Asians, with different characteristic histologic types. This study examined nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the U.S. as a function of patient origin and histology. METHODS The data were from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). The 5069 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cases were grouped by histologic type: keratinizing squamous cell, nonkeratinizing, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Patient origin was derived from race, Hispanic ethnicity, and place of birth. RESULTS World Health Organization (WHO) type 1 keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas comprised 75% of the U.S. nasopharyngeal carcinoma cases and were found most often in U.S.‐born, non‐Hispanic whites. WHO‐ 2 nonkeratinizing and WHO‐ 3 undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharnyx comprised the remaining 25% of nasopharyngeal carcinomas and were more common in Asians. Histologic composition varied for each of the 12 patient origin groups in the study and correlated with survival after treatment with ionizing radiation. Asians had the highest proportion of radioresponsive WHO‐ 2 nonkeratinizing and WHO‐ 3 undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx and better survival than African‐Americans and Hispanic and non‐Hispanic whites, who had the greatest number of the less radioresponsive keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas of the nasopharynx. The 5‐year relative survival was 65% for the nonkeratinizing and undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx and 37% for the keratinizing variety. CONCLUSIONS The survival rate of the patient origin groups correlated with the histologic composition of their nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Those with the highest proportion of radioresponsive nonkeratinizing and undifferentiated carcinomas had the best survival. Cancer 1998;83:582‐588. © 1998 American Cancer Society.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A 15 Year Study with Respect to Clinicodemography and Survival Analysis

“…The survival correlates well with the histological variant of NPC with better survival for radioresponsive nonkeratinising and undifferentiated variant [52]. However our study did not show the histological correlation with overall survival in NPC patients (Fig.…”

Avaliação dos fatores clínicos e do tratamento em pacientes com carcinoma indiferenciado da nasofaringe

“…The prognosis of nasopharyngeal tumors depends on initial clinical staging and the histological subtypes. 3 The incidence is distributed across all age groups, predominating at 50 and 60 years; males are affected more often. The incidence reaches 10 to 20 per 100 thousand male inhabitants and 5 to 10 per 100 thousand females in certain Southeastern regions of China.…”

“…There are a few hypotheses, such as hereditary causes related to the HLA-A2 and HLA-Bsin 2 viral genotypes, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, altered chromosomes and cultural factors such as increased amounts of fish and preserved food consumption that are rich in nitrosamides, known environmental carcinogens. 3,4 The EBV may be found in tumor cells of patients by an RNA signal,5 suggesting that peripheral blood may be investigated in endemic areas of this disease to detect anti-EBV antibodies. As opposed to other head and neck malignancies, smoking and alcohol consumption appear to be less important in the carcinogenesis of the aforementioned tumors.…”

The role of elective neck dissection during surgical salvage for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

“…Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) differs from other head and neck malignancies in its epidemiology, pathology and treatment outcome 1,2 . It is endemic in southern China and Southeast Asia, affecting 10 to 50 per 100,000 populationsper year 3 .…”