Long-term Outcomes of Early-stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Radiotherapy Alone

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor primarily originating in the nasopharynx, commonly found in populations in southern China, certain regions of Asia, and North Africa. The main treatment for NPC is primarily radiotherapy, with some patients receiving combined chemotherapy. Early-stage NPC patients can achieve adequate tumor control with radiation therapy alone. Various studies report that the 5-year survival rate for very early-stage NPC exceeds 90%. However, some stage I patients experience local recurrence or distant metastasis after treatment, indicating treatment failure. This study aims to retrospectively analyze the factors contributing to treatment failure and prognostic factors in this group of early-stage NPC patients.