Nasopharyngeal cancer. Five-year results of treatment with intracavitary cobalt-60.

Seven of twenty-two patients treated with intracavitary Co(60) therapy for nasopharyngeal neoplasms remained controlled for more than five years.No patient treated with intracavitary Co(60) therapy alone has remained alive. Of the seven surviving patients, four received external irradiation in conjunction with intracavitary therapy in doses which in themselves may well have controlled the disease, and the contribution of the intracavitary therapy cannot be assessed. Of ten patients treated for disease, recurrent or uncontrolled, following external irradiation, intracavitary therapy was effective for control of the disease for five years in two patients. One of these patients has no demonstrable disease ten years after the last treatment. The other is alive but with recurrent local disease nine years and eight months after the last treatment. Analysis of the material agreed with the long established experience that intracavitary irradiation for nasopharyngeal tumors is occasionally helpful in the treatment of limited mucosal recurrence or as an adjunct complementing medium-volt external irradiation. For the definitive treatment of untreated nasopharyngeal neoplasms, reliance in control is placed on through external irradiation of nasopharynx and regional lymphatics.