Prognostic impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in high-risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To investigate the prognostic impact of adjuvant chemotherapy (AdjCT) in patients with high-risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A total 403 NPC patients with at least one of the following criteria (1) neck node>6cm; (2) supraclavicular node metastasis; (3) skull base destruction/intracranial invasion plus multiple nodes metastasis; or (4) multiple neck nodes metastasis with one of nodal size>4cm were retrospectively reviewed. All patients finished curative radiotherapy±neoadjuvant/concurrent chemotherapy. Post-radiation AdjCT consisted of tegafur-uracil (two capsules twice daily) for 12months. We analyzed the treatment outcome between patients with (n=154) and without (n=249) AdjCT.

RESULTS:

Baseline patient characteristics at diagnosis (age, gender, pathological type, performance status, T-classification, N-classification, and overall stage) were comparable in both arms. After a median follow-up of 72months for surviving patients, 31.8% (49/154) and 42.2% (105/249) in patients with and without AdjCT developed tumor relapse respectively (P=0.0377). AdjCT improved both overall survival (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.37-2.61, P=0.0001) and progression-free survival (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.03-1.96, P=0.0322). There were significant reduction in distant failures (P=0.0016) but not in local (P=0.8587) or regional (P=0.8997) recurrences for patients who received AdjCT.

CONCLUSION:

AdjCT can reduce distant failure and improve overall survival in high-risk NPC patients after curative radiotherapy±neoadjuvant/concurrent chemotherapy.

• Authors: Yi-Chun Liu, Wen-Yi Wang, Chih-Wen Twu, Rong-San Jiang, Kai-Li Liang, Ching-Te Wu, Po-Ju Lin, Jing-Wen Huang, He-Yuan Hsieh, Jin-Ching Lin
• Journal: Oral oncology (Oral Oncol) Vol. 64 Pg. 15-21 (01 2017) ISSN: 1879-0593 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 28024719 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Prognosis
• Survival Analysis