Outcomes following treatment for patients with cranial nerve involvement from nasopharyngeal cancer

Introduction: Patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) commonly present with cranial nerve (CN) involvement, which can cause significant morbidity. We aimed to characterise the pattern of involvement and outcomes of these patients, as well as determine if these differed according to the mode of diagnosis. Methods: Patients were included if they had non‐distant metastatic NPC, presented with CN involvement and completed radiotherapy treatment between 2002 and 2008. The clinical response was categorised as complete response, partial response, stable or progressive disease. The radiological response was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria. The loco‐regional control and disease‐free survival rates were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Forty‐seven patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. CN lesions were diagnosed on clinical examination in 15% of patients, radiologically in 40% and both clinically and radiologically in 45% of patients. A complete or partial response of the CN lesions was seen clinically in 82% and radiologically in 95% of patients. The 3‐year local relapse free survival was 64.3%, distant metastasis‐free survival was 46.1% and overall survival was 82.8%. There were no differences in outcomes between patients with clinically versus radiologically detected CN lesions. Conclusion: Most of these patients are likely to undergo clinical and/or radiological resolution of the nerve lesions following chemoradiotherapy, but the outcome was not determined by the mode of diagnosis (radiological or clinical).