METHODS
The files of 292 patients with more than two years follow-up between November 1993-2001 were investigated retrospect ively. The patient related factors (gender, age), tumor related factors (stage, histopathological diagnosis, trismus at the time of diagnosis, cranial nerve involvement), tretment related factors (radiotherapy with or without concomittan chemotherapy, applying brachitherapy or not, total treatment time and radiotherapy dose, applying reirradiation or not) were registered and effect of these factors to formation of trismus was investigated.
RESULTS
The rate of trismus was found to be 8%. Two and five-year overall survival rates were 83% and 67.6%. Among investigated factors only two were found related with formation of radiation induced trismus: presence of trismus at the time of diagnosis (p=0.03) and treatment with reirradiation for recurrence (p=0.002).
CONCLUSION
In this study radiation induced trismus rate for nasopharyngeal cancer was similar to findings in literature. Trismus at the time of diagnosis and reirradiation are factors effecting the rate of observing this complication.
Keywords: Carcinoma/pathology/therapy; nasopharyngeal neoplasms/ pathology/therapy; radiotherapy, high-energy; trismus
