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Nasopharyngeal cancer in patients under the age of thirty years
Author(s) -
Papavasiliou Constantin,
Pavlatou Maria,
Pappas John
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197711)40:5<2312::aid-cncr2820400545>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - medicine , hypertrophic osteoarthropathy , mediastinum , disease , cancer , lymphatic system , lung cancer , lymph , age groups , pathology , surgery , demography , sociology
There is evidence that patients under 30 years of age with nasopharyngeal cancer present a somewhat different form of disease than patients of the older age group. Serum immunologic reactivity in the former was quantitatively different. Histologically, tumors in the younger age group are always of the undifferentiated type, and clinically, the disease is aggressive, characterized by frequent bone and lung metastases. The lymphatic spread into the mediastinum is accompanied by a paraneoplastic syndrome consisting of finger clubbing and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, which is reversible after successful therapy. High rates of recovery have been obtained, even in the presence of advanced disease or metastases. This warrants a radical and persistent radiotherapeutic and or chemotherapeutic approach.