The Primary Tumor and Regional Lymph Node Clinical Status of Distant Metastasis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous cell carcinoma derived from nasopharyngeal epithelium. NPC characteristic is highly invasive and can metastasize rapidly. The presence of distant metastasis is a major factor in determining the patient’s management and prognosis. The magnitude of radiologic and molecular costs encouraging the need to know the clinical variables associated with distant metastasis of NPC. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical retrospective studies of undifferentiated NPC (WHO type III) patients at initial diagnosis in the ORL-HNS Department of Dr. Sardjito Hospital Yogyakarta from January 2014 to December 2016. Results: At 276 NPC patients with the ratio of 197 men (71.4%) and 79 women (28.6%) was 2.5:1, mean age 48.5 years, distant metastasis was found in 37 patients (13.4%). There was no significant difference in the frequency of sex (p = 0.346), age (p = 0.784), and primary tumor clinical status (p = 0.297) between NPC with distant metastasis and without distant metastasis. There was significant difference in the frequency of regional lymph node clinical status between NPC with distant metastasis and without distant metastasis (p = 0.004; PR = 3.866). Conclusions: There is no statistically significant difference of primary tumor clinical status between NPC with and without distant metastasis. There is statistically significant difference of lymph node clinical status between NPC with and without distant metastasis.