This was a retrospective study of 98 patients (pts.) with histologically confirmed nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The clinico-demographic characteristics were: median age of 53 years (11-83); 74 males and 24 females (ratio 3:1); histology subtype OMS 2-3 in 89 pts. (90.8%); cranial nerve deficits in 11 pts. (11.2%); 50 (51%) were stage T3T4; 68 pts. (69.4%) N2N3 and 77 pts. (78.6%) stage IV. The therapeutic modalities were: radical radiotherapy (RT) alone in 42 pts., chemotherapy (CT) alone in 4 pts., RT + adjuvant CT in 10 pts. and neoadjuvant CT + RT in 42 pts. RT was delivered in wide fields, doses between 50-75 Gy with conventional fractionation. CT consisted in cisplatinum-based schedules (PF in 34 pts., BEC in 9 and others in 13 pts.). Analyzed by treatment, more males and stages N2N3 and IV were accrued in neoCT + RT arm (p < or = 0.05). For the entire population, the overall complete response was achieved in 65 pts. (66.3%); in 27/35 pts. (77.1%) of the RT group and 30/51 pts. (58.8%) of CT + RT group (p 0.07) of pts. with III-IV stages. With a median follow-up of 74.5 months, 32 pts. (32.65%) are alive and free of disease. The projected OS for all pts. was 40 months (m), 51.4% at 3 years (y) and 45.5% at 5 y with a disease free survival of 37 m (0-236). No differences between treatment arms were found (p 0.4). In univariant analysis for OS in stage III-IV pts., age > 50 y, histology OMS1, cranial nerve deficits, stage T3T4 and N2N3, were considered adverse prognostic factors (p < or = 0.05). In multivariant analysis, only age > 50 y and stages T3-T4, N2-N3 were significant (p < or = 0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrated good long term survival without any differences among treatment modalities in pts. with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinomas. New therapeutic approaches are warranted in order to improve the outcome of this patients.