Endoscopic Nasopharyngectomy for Locally Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: How We Do It?

Endoscopic Nasopharyngectomy for Locally Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: How We Do It?

Objective: To describe, with intraoperative pictures, our technique of endoscopic nasopharyngectomy in two cases of early locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Two patients were treated in 2011for biopsyconfirmed recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer, after previously being treated with chemoradiation. The patients were staged as rT1N0M0 and rT2aN0M0.

Results: Both patients were treated successfully with endoscopic resection. Bilateral nasoseptal flaps were used for reconstruction. Surgical resection included en bloc removal with at least 1.0 cm margins. Frozen section and final pathology margins were negative in both patients. The final pathological reports confirmed nasaopharyngeal carcinoma. Both patients are free of disease postoperatively (rT1 3 years, and rT2a 2.5 years), and are symptomatically well with minor complaints. Our experience is similar to several previously described case series.

Conclusions: Endoscopic nasopharyngectomy is a minimally invasive, safe and effective option compared to the maxillary swing procedure for early nasopharyngeal carcinoma.