Cranial nerve involvement by nasopharyngeal carcinoma: response to treatment and clinical significance.

The incidence of cranial nerve involvement in a group of 564 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was 12%. Most of these patients had multiple cranial nerve involvement with the fifth and sixth nerves being most commonly affected. Different cranial nerves had different chances of recovery after radiotherapy. About half the patients with cranial nerve palsies had complete neurological recovery after radiotherapy. The cranial nerve response, however, was not a significant predictor of local tumour control.