OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between the therapeutic modality and prognostic factors for the patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS The clinical data from 127 cases of T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with initial treatment, during the period from January 4th, 2000 to November 12th, 2001, were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were divided into Group A with simple radiotherapy (90) and Group B with the radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy (37), based on various patients’ conditions. In group B, inductive chemotherapy was conducted for 18 cases, inductive chemotherapy plus homochronous chemotherapy for 5 and homochronous chemotherapy for 14. RESULTS The 5-year overall survival (OS) in the groups A and B was 73.4% and 72.3% respectively (P>0.05); the cancer-correlated survival (CCS) in the 2 groups was 76.4% and 72.3% respectively (P>0.05); the disease-free survival (DFS) in group A and B was 65.5% and 71.7% respectively (P<0.05). A multiple analysis showed that the mode of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy was a favorable independent impact factor for DFS. CONCLUSION Chemotherapy plus radiotherapy can improve the DFS of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but fails to prolong the survival time of the patients. The modality of chemotherapy plus radiotherapy is not the necessary choice in treatment of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between the therapeutic modality and prognostic factors for the patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS The clinical data from 127 cases of T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with initial treatment, during the period from January 4th, 2000 to November The cases were divided into Group A with simple radiotherapy (90) and Group B with the radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy (37), based on various patients’ conditions. In group B, inductive chemotherapy was performed for 18 cases, inductive chemotherapy plus homochronous chemotherapy for 5 and homochronous chemotherapy for 14. RESULTS The 5-year overall survival (OS) in the groups A and B was 73.4% and 72.3% respectively (P> 0.05); the cancer-correlated The disease-free survival (DFS) in group A and B was 65.5% and 71.7% respectively (P <0.05). A multistep iple analysis showed that the mode of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy was a favorable independent impact factor for DFS. CONCLUSION Chemotherapy plus radiotherapy can improve the DFS of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but fails to prolong the survival time of the patients. The modality of chemotherapy plus radiotherapy is not the necessary choice in treatment of patients with T3N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.