Radiotherapy technics and results in nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the Cologne University Clinics from 1974 to 1985

At the university clinics of Cologne 76 patients were treated for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with curative intent from 1974 to 1985. The radiotherapy followed the guidelines of the M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston and the Royal Marsden Hospital, London using a multiple field technique. A median dose of 68 Gy megavoltage radiotherapy was given to the primary and of 66 Gy to the neck nodes independent of the histologic subtype. The determinate relapse-free survival was 45% after five years and the local relapse-free survival 61%. The multiple field technique allowed to reduce the dose to the parotid. Only 25% of the patients suffered from a dry mouth after one year and only 10% after four years.