Incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer in La Rioja (Spain). Epidemiological aspects

A retrospective study was made of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosed at the Hospital San Millan of La Rioja (Spain), between August 1989 and August 1995. Epidemiological and clinical factors, and their relation to findings from other regional studies, were examined. Most patients had stage III and IV (1986 UICC/AJCC staging system) disease, which indicates that the diagnosis tended to be late. Primary care physicians should consider this disease in cases of nasal obstruction, nosebleed, or seromucous otitis in adults.