Cranial nerve involvement and base of skull erosion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a cancer that develops in the nasal cavity and the area above the soft palate. NPC is exceptionally common in southern China. The tumor has a great propensity to infiltrate surrounding tissues, and since the nasal cavity is immediately beneath the skull it is not uncommon for skull erosion to occur as a result of tumor infiltration. In the past, both skull erosion and tumor infiltration of the cranial nerves were found to indicate a poor outcome. However, these two factors are not independent, for some degree of skull erosion is present when the cranial nerves are involved. Furthermore, the advent of CT scans had made it evident that previously many cases with less extensive erosion were not being detected with conventional X-rays. To update knowledge on the relationship between skull erosion and cranial nerve involvement in cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a prospective study of 262 consecutive patients was conducted. Of these, 31.3 percent were found to have erosion of the base of the skull. The middle cranial fossa, a portion of the skull underlying the mid part of the brain, was infiltrated with NPC cells in 12.2 percent of the cases. Thirty-four of the patients had some involvement of one of the twelve cranial nerves; in 30 the involvement was one or more of the cranial nerves numbers III through VI. A statistical analysis was carried out to determine which factors carried prognostic significance, and it was found that only the cranial nerve involvement had a significant adverse effect upon survival. Clinicians examining patients with NPC using the CT scan should remember that images of thin sections of the skull should be processed, since subtle bone erosion may not be apparent on conventional CT images. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Case studies, Abnormalities, Nervous system cancer, Skull base

---

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in young patients

Article Abstract:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in Hong Kong and Southern China. While the peak incidence occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, the cancer is also commonly seen in young people as well. There have been conflicting reports about the course of the disease in younger patients, with some researchers claiming the disease has a poorer prognosis in the young, and others saying this is not so. To help clarify this issue, the cases of 71 Chinese patients between 9 and 20 years of age were reviewed. Many of the observations were similar to those made with adult patients. The mortality rate in this group was 61 percent, roughly comparable to adults. The histologic appearance of the cancers was also similar to that observed in older patients. Among the patients who died, the most common pattern of metastasis was spread of the cancer to the skeleton, which is also observed in adults with NPC. However, one distinction that was found is that the younger patients seemed to be diagnosed with consistently more advanced disease. Although only a relatively short time period (two to three months) separated recognition of symptoms from diagnosis in these patients, 90.1 percent had cancer already in Stage III or IV. It is not known if the preponderance of advanced disease represents a failure of younger patients to recognize early symptoms or to regard them as significant. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

China, Prognosis, Cancer in children, Childhood cancer, Nose cancer

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The efficacy of fiberoptic endoscopic examination and biopsy in the detection of early nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• Abstracts: Effects of different calcium sources on iron absorption in postmenopausal women. Calcium absorption in elderly subjects on high- and low-fiber diets: effect of gastric acidity
• Abstracts: Illness severity and costs of administration at teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Statewide quality improvement initiatives and mortality after cardiac surgery
• Abstracts: Depression and the dynamics of smoking: a national perspective. Smoking and the risk of peptic ulcer disease among women in the United States
• Abstracts: A clinical trial of beta carotene to prevent basal-cell and squamous-cell cancers of the skin. Risk of subsequent basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin among patients with prior skin cancer

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.