In 142 patients with primary nasopharyngeal cancer encountered at the Mayo Clinic in the years 1950 through 1960, sex, age, site of primary tumor, presenting symptoms, or duration of symptoms did not seem to bear any relationship to the ultimate salvageability of these patients. The ratio of males to females was 2.4:1. The 5 year survival rate was 29 per cent for males and 33 per cent for females. Seventy-one per cent of the patients and 75 per cent of the 5 year survivors were in the age period 40 through 69 years. None of 10 patients less than 20 years of age and only 2 of 10 aged 70 years or more survived 5 years. Site of the primary tumor in the nasopharynx did not seem to carry a prognostic implication : the 5 year survival rate was 37 per cent for lateral wall lesions, 29 per cent for vault lesions, 37 per cent for combined lateral-wall and vault lesions, 14 per cent for lesions of the anterior vault and posterior nares, 30 per cent for posterior wall lesions, and 18 per cent for extensive lesions f...