Nasopharyngectomy: Does the approach to the nasopharynx influence survival?
July 3rd, 2008 | by admin |Nasopharyngectomy: Does the approach to the nasopharynx influence survival?
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the approach used to the nasopharynx to perform a salvage nasopharyngectomy for recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma influences survival. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case series. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty patients underwent a nasopharyngectomy via a transpalatal, maxillary swing, or midfacial degloving approach. Local progression-free, locoregional progression-free, and overall survival rates were calculated for each approach. RESULTS: For the whole group (N = 80), there were no significant differences in the survival rates between the three approaches. For the subgroup of patients with recurrent T1 and T2 tumors (n = 68), the local progression-free and locoregional progression-free survival rates were significantly better when a maxillary swing approach was used than when a midfacial degloving approach was used. CONCLUSION: The maxillary swing approach is associated with significantly better survival rates than the midfacial degloving approach when used to perform a salvage nasopharyngectomy for residual or recurrent T1 and T2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Vlantis AC, Yu BK, Kam MK, Hung T, Lo PS, King AD, Tong MC, van Hasselt CA.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.