Results of Radiotherapy in Nasopharyngeal Cancer A retrospective comparison of split-course and continuous-course treatment schedules

Abstract

A retrospective comparison was made between split-course and continuous-course telecobalt therapy in 107 cases of nasopharyngeal cancer. During 10 years' follow-up the recurrence rates in nasopharynx and base of skull were much higher in the split group than in the continuous one. Both 5-year and 10-year survival rates were considerably lower in the split-group than in the continuous group. When the material was broken down into different clinical stages, the inferiority of the split-course schedule was even more conspicuous. Further analysis of the split group suggested that patients with intervals longer than 22 days and with 2 treatment intervals fared worst. Some theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.