Alternating chemoradiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer: prognostic factors and proposal for individualization of therapy

Definitive radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Japan: analysis of cases in the National Head and Neck Cancer Registry from 2011 to 2014

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the nationwide prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent definitive radiotherapy in Japan, utilizing the National Head and Neck Cancer Registry data.

METHODS

A total of 741 patients diagnosed with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma were screened from 2011 to 2014. The inclusion criteria were histologically proven nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, receiving definitive radiotherapy, and no distant metastases. Patients with unclear prognoses or unknown staging were excluded. The primary endpoint was 5-year overall survival, and secondary endpoints were 5-year progression-free survival and survival by stage.

RESULTS

A total of 457 patients met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 60 years, and 80% were male. The proportions of patients with performance status 0, 1, 2 and 3 were 69, 10, 1 and 1%, respectively. Chemoradiotherapy was administered to 84.7%. Radiotherapy modalities were recorded only for 29 patients (three received intensity-modulated radiotherapy and 26 received two/three-dimensional radiotherapy). Of those included, 7.4, 24.7, 35.7, 24.5 and 7.7% had Stage I, II, III, IVA and IVB disease, respectively. The 5-year overall survival was 72.5% for all patients: 82.6, 86.6, 76.0, 51.4 and 66.5% for Stage I, II, III, IVA and IVB disease, respectively. The 5-year progression-free survival was 58.6%: 75.6, 66.8, 61.5, 43.7 and 46.5% for Stage I, II, III, IVA and IVB disease, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide survey demonstrated favorable prognoses and provided valuable foundational data for similar future surveys to monitor the penetration of appropriate treatment and changes in clinical structures based on new evidence.

Dosimetric and radiobiological analyses of a de-escalation strategy for elective nodal regions in human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer

Introduction

In this simulation study, we examined the effects of a de-escalation strategy with a reduced dose to subclinical nodal regions in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC).

Methods

We created two patterns of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for 16 patients with HPV-associated OPC. In the standard and de-escalation plans, the initial field including elective nodal regions received 46 and 30 Gy, followed by 20 and 36 Gy to the cutdown field, respectively. Comparison metrics were set for each organ at risk (OAR). We compared these metric values and the probability of adverse effects based on the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model between the two plans.

Results

Both plans generally met the dose constraints for the targets and all OAR. Among the comparison metrics, the mean doses to the brain, pharyngeal constrictor muscle, thyroid, and skin and the dose to a 1 % volume of the skin were higher in the standard plan than in the de-escalation plan (P = 0.031, 0.007, < 0.001, < 0.001, and 0.006, respectively). NTCP analyses revealed that the probability of adverse effects in the ipsilateral parotid gland and thyroid was higher in the standard plan than in the de-escalation plan (standard vs. de-escalation plans: ipsilateral parotid gland, 6.4 % vs. 5.0 %, P = 0.016; thyroid, 3.3 % vs. 0.5 %, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

A de-escalation strategy with elective nodal regions is a promising treatment to prevent a decline in the quality of life in patients with HPV-associated OPC, particularly xerostomia, dysphagia, and hypothyroidism.

Treatment outcomes of alternating chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a single-center safety and efficacy study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Alternating Chemoradiotherapy (ACRT) using cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study in which patients' clinical records were reviewed to identify patients with a new diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at our institution between January 2005 and January 2019. Thirty-seven eligible patients were identified; of these, the clinical details of 27 patients treated with ACRT were evaluated. Patient outcomes, including overall survival and progression-free survival, and adverse events were assessed.

RESULTS

Of these initial 37 patients, 1, 10, 13, 10, and 3 were staged as I, II, III, IVA, and IVB, respectively, as defined by the 8th edition of the TNM classification system. Twenty-seven patients received ACRT comprising sequential administration of chemotherapy, radiotherapy (wide field), chemotherapy, radiotherapy (shrinking field), and chemotherapy. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 83.7% and 88.9%, respectively. Treatment compliance was 93%, which is comparable to that of previous reports.

CONCLUSION

ACRT using cisplating and 5-fluorouracil was well tolerated with acceptable efficacy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IVa.

Adjuvant chemotherapy following combined induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy improves survival in N2-3-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the clinical value of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) following concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) and induction chemotherapy (ICT) in loco-regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANC).

METHODS

We included 839 newly diagnosed LANC patients in this study. ICT plus CCRT (ICT + CCRT group) was administered to 443 patients, and 396 patients received ACT after ICT plus CCRT (ICT + CCRT + ACT group). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were carried out. Furthermore, propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance the study and control groups.

RESULTS

A total of 373 pairs of LANC patients were obtained after PSM analysis. We found that ACT following ICT + CCRT has no significant effect on improving the survival of LANC patients. By further exploring the ICT + CCRT + ACT treatment protocol, we excluded N0-1-positive patients and re-performed PSM in the ICT + CCRT and ICT + CCRT + ACT groups. Each group consisted of 237 patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that there were differences between the ICT + CCRT and ICT + CCRT + ACT groups in terms of the 5-year overall survival (OS) (78.9% vs. 85.0%, P = 0.034), disease-free survival (DFS) (73.4% vs. 81.7%, P = 0.029), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (84.9% vs. 76.0%, P = 0.019). In addition, the ICT + CCRT + ACT group had a higher incidence of grade 3/4 acute leukocytopenia/neutropenia.

CONCLUSION

Compared with ICT + CCRT, ACT following ICT plus CCRT can reduce distant metastasis of N2-3-positive LANC and improve the OS and DFS. The results demonstrated the feasibility and clinical utility of ACT following ICT plus CCRT.

Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A SEER population-based study

Currently, the impact of chemotherapy (CT) on survival outcomes in elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) receiving radiation therapy (RT) remains controversial. This retrospective study aims to investigate survival outcomes in a cohort of elderly NPC patients receiving RT alone or together with CT.Clinical data on 529 NPC patients aged 65 years and older extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (2004-2015) was collected and retrospectively reviewed. In this cohort, 74 patients were treated with RT alone and 455 individuals received RT and CT. We used propensity score matching with a 1:3 ratio to identify correlations between patients based on 6 different variables. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The differences in OS and CSS between the 2 treatment groups were compared using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models.The estimated 5-year OS and CSS rates for all patients were 49.5% and 59.3%, respectively. The combination of RT and CT provided longer OS than RT alone (53.7% vs 36.9%, P = .002), while no significant difference was observed in CSS (61.8% vs 51.7%, P = .074) between the 2 groups. Moreover, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the combination of CT and RT correlated favorably with OS and CSS. Subgroup analyses showed that the combination of RT and CT correlated better with both OS and CSS in patients with stage T3 or N2 or stage III.Among NPC patients aged 65 years and older, treatment with RT and CT provided longer OS than RT alone. Furthermore, the combination of RT and CT showed a better correlation with OS and CSS in NPC patients with stage T3 or N2 or stage III.

Therapeutic patterns and outcomes in older patients (aged ≥65 years) with stage II-IVB Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: an investigational study from SEER database

Purpose: Currently, the optimal treatment regimens for older nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients remained unclear. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate therapeutic patterns and survival outcomes for a cohort of older NPC patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT). Methods: The clinical data of 529 patients with aged ≥65 years and NPC, who were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry (years 2004-2015), were collected and retrospectively reviewed. Among these patients, 74 patients treated with RT alone and 455 cases were administrated for RT plus CT. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The differences in OS and CSS were compared using Log-rank test. Results: The estimated OS and CSS rates at 5 years were 48.9% and 59.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that age, histology, T stage, and clinical stage were independent prognosticators of OS and CSS, while treatment option was only associated with OS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age, T stage, histology, and therapeutic strategy were correlated with OS, while age, T stage and histology were independent prognostic factors of CSS. Subgroup analyses showed that the combination of RT and CT yielded better OS and CSS in patients with stage T3 or N2 or III. Conclusion: Among these NPC patients with aged ≥65 years reported in the SEER database, treatment with RT plus CT provided longer OS than those treated with radiation therapy alone. Moreover, the combination of RT and CT obtained favorable OS and CSS in NPC patient stage T3 or N2 or III.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of virus-associated cancers

Among all malignant tumors that threaten human health, virus-related tumors account for a large proportion. The treatment of these tumors is still an urgent problem to be resolved. The immune system is the "guard" of the human body, resisting the invasion of foreign substances such as viruses. Studies have shown that immunotherapy has clinical significance in the treatment of a variety of tumors. In particular, the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in recent years has opened a new door to cancer therapy. Considering the potential role of ICIs in the treatment of virus-related cancers, we focused on their therapeutic effect in virus-associated cancers and explored whether the therapeutic effect in virus-associated cancers was related to virus infection status. Although there is no clear statistical significance indicates that ICIs are more effective in virus-associated cancers than non-virus infections, the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of virus-related cancers is promising. We believe that this research provides a good direction for the implementation of individualized precision medicine.

Incidence and risk factors of osteomyelitis in adult and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a nationwide, population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper is to investigate the incidence rate, risk factors and outcome of osteomyelitis among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a cohort study using data for patients enrolled in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 2000 to 2012. Patients with SLE and age- and sex-matched controls without SLE were enrolled. Primary endpoint was the first occurrence of osteomyelitis. Risks of osteomyelitis in SLE patients were analyzed with Cox proportional hazards regression models, including age, sex, comorbidities and medications.

RESULTS

Among 24,705 SLE patients (88.4% women, mean age 35.8 years) with a median follow-up of 9.1 years, 386 patients had osteomyelitis. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of osteomyelitis in the SLE group vs the control group was 8.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.24-10.05). The SLE group had higher incidence rates of osteomyelitis than the control group, especially in pediatric subgroups (IRR 41.1 95% CI 18.57-107.35). Compared to controls, SLE patients experienced osteomyelitis at a younger age (42.3 vs 58.1 years) but did not have an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio 0.7; 95% CI 0.21-2.38). Age >60 years, male gender, malignancy within five years, prior bone fracture and higher daily prednisolone dose (>7.5 mg) cumulatively for >180 days increased risk for osteomyelitis.

CONCLUSIONS

SLE patients have a higher IRR of osteomyelitis than controls. Pediatric and elder SLE patients, patients with a history of bone fracture, malignancy within five years and higher-dose glucocorticoid use have a higher risk of osteomyelitis and should be carefully monitored.

Long-term outcomes of alternating chemoradiotherapy in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal cancer: a single-centre experience over the last decade

SUMMARY

We assessed the long-term outcomes of alternating chemoradiotherapy (ACRT) using 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (FP) in 25 patients with stage II or advanced nasopharyngeal cancer treated at our institution between April 1999 and April 2010. Median follow-up duration was 87 months (range 2-189). According to the 2009 TNM classification (UICC), six patients were in stage II, nine in stage III, and 10 in stage IV. Treatment completion, response and five-year survival rates were retrospectively assessed. ACRT was performed with a first course of chemotherapy administered followed by the initial round of radiotherapy (36 Gy). Then, a second course of chemotherapy with additional radiotherapy (20-30 Gy) was administered, followed by a final third course of chemotherapy. For chemotherapy, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 800 mg/m2/24 h) was intravenously administered for five days, and cisplatin (CDDP, 50 mg/m2/24 h) was administered on the last two days. Treatment completion rate was 96% (24 of 25 cases), and the response rate was 100% (CR: 24 cases and PR: 1 case). Additionally, the five-year overall survival rate was 89.3%. We have demonstrated that ACRT is an effective regimen to treat nasopharyngeal cancer, revealing higher treatment completion, response, and five-year overall survival rates compared with other combinatorial radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment regimens.

Efficacy and Safety of Nimotuzumab Plus Radiotherapy With or Without Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy in an Elderly Patient Subgroup (Aged 60 and Older) With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab combined with radiotherapy (RT) in elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 75 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, who were initially treated with nimotuzumab combined with RT, were collected and retrospectively reviewed from December 2008 to April 2014. They were aged 60 to 81 years (median 64 years). The distribution of disease was stage II in 10 (13.3%), stage III in 33 (44.0%), and stage IV in 32 (42.7%). Among these patients, 59 cases received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Survival outcomes and treatment toxicity were analyzed using IBM SPSS 19.0 software.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 45 months (range, 13-78 months), the estimated 3-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression failure-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 95.6%, 95.5%, 98.6%, 89.7%, and 89.2%, respectively. In the subgroup, 3-year OS rate in the patients with concurrent chemotherapy was 90.5% and 77.4% in patients without concurrent chemotherapy (Log-Rank = 1.795, P = .180). Univariate analysis showed that T stage and clinical stage were correlated with OS. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, T stage and tumor response at the end of treatment were independent prognosticators. Nine patients experienced grade 3 to 4 acute mucositis and 26 patients experienced grade 3-4 leukocytopenia, with no cases of skin rash and infusion reaction. Twelve patients developed mild liver function damage. No serious gastrointestinal or renal toxicities were observed.

CONCLUSION

The efficacy of combined nimotuzumab with RT in elderly NPC patients was encouraging and the toxicities were accepted. In addition, nimotuzumab provides a better option for elderly patients who cannot be tolerate chemotherapy.

Distinctive microRNA expression in early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

The goal of this study was to investigate microRNAs (miRs) expression at different stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MiR expression profiling at various stages of NPC was performed by miR array and further verified using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Pathway enrichment analysis was carried out to identify the functional pathways regulated by the miRs. The expression of a selected group of identified miRs was verified in stage I NPC by in situ hybridization (ISH). A total of 449 miRs were identified with significantly different expressions between NPC tissues and normal pharyngeal tissues. Eighty-four miRs were dysregulated only in stage I NPC, among which 45 miRs were up-regulated and the other 39 were down-regulated. Pathway enrichment assay revleaed that three significantly down-regulated and three significantly up-regulated miRs involved in 12 pathways associating with tumour formation and progression. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the miR array result. In addition, the low expression levels of hsa-miR-4324, hsa-miR-203a and hsa-miR-199b-5p were further validated in stage I NPC by ISH. This present study identifed the miR signature in stage I NPC, providing the basis for early detection and treatment of NPC.

Chemoradiotherapy with weekly low-dose docetaxel and cisplatin concurrent with radiation for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for selected patients

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy using weekly low-dose docetaxel and cisplatin in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of 31 patients who were treated with this regimen from 2001 to 2014. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy consisted of radiotherapy with a total dose of 59.4-70.2 Gy plus weekly administration of docetaxel (5-10 mg/m²) and cisplatin (20 mg/m²), up to six cycles. At least two cycles of platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy were prescribed for Stage IV and Stage III patients with partial response or stable disease after concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

RESULTS

Of the 31 patients, 28 (90%) completed concurrent chemoradiotherapy as planned. The overall complete response and partial response rates were 42% and 52%, respectively. Seventeen of the 21 patients who were prescribed adjuvant chemotherapy underwent it. After a median follow-up of 39.1 months for the 23 surviving patients, 9 (29%) developed locoregional recurrence or progression and 6 patients (19%) developed distant metastasis. The 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 76% and 56%, respectively. Univariate analyses revealed that clinical stage was a significant predictor of complete response, overall survival and progression-free survival. The most serious adverse events were mucositis during concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neutropenia during adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

This concurrent chemoradiotherapy protocol showed practical efficacy with high feasibility and acceptable toxicity. To improve the progression-free survival of patients with Stage IV disease who are treated by this protocol, changes to their treatment strategy should be considered.

Preliminary treatment results of proton beam therapy with chemoradiotherapy for stage I-III esophageal cancer

The effect of proton beam therapy (PBT) on various cancers is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PBT with alternating chemoradiotherapy (ACRT) for patients with stage I–III esophageal cancer. Two cycles of systemic chemotherapy with a continuous infusion of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) on days 1–5 and a 5h infusion of nedaplatin (NDP) on day 6 were accompanied by thoracic irradiation using X‐ray therapy and PBT. During the first half of the treatment, X‐rays were delivered to the prophylactic area. During the second half of the treatment, proton beams were used to irradiate the involved field. To reduce the dose of cardiac irradiation, proton beams were delivered with posterior and posterior oblique angles. Between January 2009 and December 2012, 47 patients were enrolled in this study. The median follow‐up duration was 29 months for all patients and 40 months for survivors. The 3 year overall survival rate, progression‐free survival rate, and local control rate were 59.2%, 56.3%, and 69.8%, respectively. With respect to grade 3–4 late toxicities, there were no pleural or pericardial effusions, but two patients (4.3%) had esophageal stenosis, one patient (2.1%) had fistula, and two patients (4.3%) developed radiation pneumonitis. PBT with ACRT might have the potential to reduce the risk of cardiac damage and might become one of the primary methods of esophageal cancer treatment.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Long term follow-up of 83 patients

AIM: To analyzes the clinical, paraclinical, therapeutical and evolutive features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS: All the patients treated for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma between 2000 and 2013 in the Ear-Nose-Throat Department of the Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia were collected in this study. Eighty-three patients signed a written consent prior to study enrollment. The gender ratio (M/W) was 6.5 with a median age of 49 years (range 16-85). The median follow up time was 37 mo (18 to 108 mo). The evolution, during and after the end of therapy, was assessed on clinical biological and radiological exams. Different parameters were analyzed and compared to other series: complications of chemo and radiotherapy, recurrence of the disease, metastasis and overall survival rate.

RESULTS: Of the 83 patients of our study, 15% had T1 tumors, 20% had T2, 23% had T3 and 41% had T4 disease. At the time of diagnosis, 14% of the patients had a cranial nerve deficit. Only 12 patients had exclusive radiotherapy and the remaining of our patients had concomitant radio chemotherapy. Iatrogenic complications were diagnosed in 53% of the cases: radioepithelitis (28%), radiodermatitis (9%), xerostomia (17%), osteoradionecrosis (3%), cerebral radionecrosis (1%) and a pancytopenia (17%). The follow-up period varied from 18 to 108 mo (average: 37 mo). During the first six months after treatment, a persistence of the disease was found in 11% of patients, while a recurrence of the cancer was diagnosed in 6% and distant metastasis developed in 14% of the patients. Fifteen patients needed remedial chemotherapy for a relapse or metastasis and five had palliative chemotherapy for very advanced cases. We report 3 cases of death during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Despite its excellent radio-chemotherapy response, and general good prognosis, a careful follow-up of patients with NPC is necessary to detect and manage any iatrogenic complication, locoregional recurrence or metastasis of the disease.

Volumetric PET/CT parameters predict local response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to chemoradiotherapy

It is not well established whether pretreatment ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT can predict local response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to chemoradiotherapy (CRT). We examined 118 patients: 11 with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), 30 with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), and 77 with laryngohypopharyngeal cancer (LHC) who had completed CRT. PET/CT parameters of primary tumor, including metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and maximum and mean standardized uptake value (SUV_max and SUV_mean), were correlated with local response, according to primary site and human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were made to access predictive values of the PET/CT parameters, while logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors. Area under the curve (AUC) of the PET/CT parameters ranged from 0.53 to 0.63 in NPC and from 0.50 to 0.54 in OPC. HPV-negative OPC showed AUC ranging from 0.51 to 0.58, while all of HPV-positive OPCs showed complete response. In contrast, AUC ranged from 0.71 to 0.90 in LHC. Moreover, AUCs of MTV and TLG were significantly higher than those of SUV_max and SUV_mean (P < 0.01). After multivariate analysis, high MTV >25.0 mL and high TLG >144.8 g remained as independent, significant predictors of incomplete response compared with low MTV (odds ratio [OR], 13.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5–72.9; P = 0.003) and low TLG (OR, 12.8; 95% CI, 2.4–67.9; P = 0.003), respectively. In conclusion, predictive efficacy of pretreatment ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT varies with different primary sites and chosen parameters. Local response of LHC is highly predictable by volume-based PET/CT parameters.

Retrospective analysis of results of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Macao

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy in Southeast Asia, however, a full consensus has not yet been reached as to the value of comprehensive treatment for NPC. This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of NPC and their prognostic value, as well as the long-term efficacy of NPC treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 248 patients, with different stages of NPC, were included in this study.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for patients in stages I, II, III and IV were 90.48%, 76.71%, 76.89% and 33.87%, respectively (P=0.000), while the respective 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 85.15%, 72.36%, 63.88% and 26.26% (P=0.000). The respective 5-year OS rates, according to stage, for the group that received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and for the group that received radiotherapy only were as follows: stages I and II, 81.67% and 79.59% (P=0.753); stage III, 79.91% and 70.38% (P=0.143); stage IV, 35.22% and 0% (P=0.000). The respective 5-year PFS rates in these groups were as follows: stages I and II, 75.83% and 74.98% (P=0.814); stage III, 74.08% and 42.25% (P=0.027); stage IV, 27.31% and 0% (P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical staging appears to be the most important prognostic factor for NPC. As the stage number increases, both the 5-year OS and PFS significantly decrease. Adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy was not advantageous for patients with stage I or II NPC, however the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy significantly improved OS and PFS in patients with stage IV NPC. The addition of chemotherapy improved PFS, but not OS in patients with stage III NPC.

Clinical efficacy of alternating chemoradiotherapy by conformal radiotherapy combined with intracavitary brachytherapy for high-risk cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of alternating chemoradiotherapy in patients with high-risk cervical cancer.

METHODS

We performed definitive alternating chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients with at least one high-risk factor such as International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics III or IVA disease, primary tumor diameter ≥50 mm, positive pelvic node, and positive para-aortic node. Our chemoradiotherapy protocol was as follows: (i) alternating chemoradiotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and nedaplatin; (ii) whole pelvic radiotherapy with the dynamic conformal technique combined with intracavitary brachytherapy; (iii) prophylactic irradiation to the para-aortic region for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics III/IVA or positive pelvic node and full-dose radiotherapy for positive para-aortic node. Between 1998 and 2010, 121 patients were treated with this protocol.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period was 53.7 months (7.6-162.2). International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages were IB; (9.1%), IIA; 6 (5.0%), IIB; 53 (43.8%), IIIA; 7 (5.8%), IIIB; 37 (30.6%) and IVA; 7 (5.8%), respectively. Nodal involvement was reported in 77 patients (63.6%) at the pelvis and 25 (20.7%) at the para-aortic region. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 80.0 and 63.4%, respectively. Regarding Grade ≥3 late toxicities, three patients developed urinary and three developed intestinal toxicities. We encountered no treatment-related death.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical results of our alternating chemoradiotherapy protocol for high-risk cervical cancer are promising.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with nedaplatin plus paclitaxel or fluorouracil for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Survival and toxicity

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to review the survival and toxicity in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent nedaplatin plus paclitaxel or fluorouracil (NP or NF).

METHODS

A total of 155 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC seen at our institution between January 2008 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-nine cases (51%) were treated with IMRT and concurrent NP chemotherapy, and 76 cases (49%) were treated with IMRT and concurrent NF regimen. Survival and toxicity were reported.

RESULTS

The 3-year locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 90.3% and 87.8%, 79.7% and 81.1%, 77.3% and 71.1%, and 81.6% and 83.7% for the NF and NP group, respectively. The results were comparable to that of the cisplatin-based regimens. Acute and late toxicities were acceptable.

CONCLUSION

IMRT with concurrent nedaplatin-based chemotherapy achieved comparable survival with acceptable toxicity to those of the cisplatin-based regimens in the treatment of locoregionally advanced NPC.

Phase II trial of neoadjuvant docetaxel and cisplatin followed by intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy involving docetaxel and cisplatin followed by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with concurrent cisplatin in patients with newly diagnosed stage III to IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

Docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) on day 1) and cisplatin (75 mg/m(2) on day 1) were administered on a 3-week cycle for 2 courses, followed by radical IMRT (72 Gy/33F/6.5-7 W) with concurrent cisplatin (75 mg/m(2), on day 1) every 3 weeks for 2 cycles.

RESULTS

From June 2008 to October 2010, forty-six patients were recruited in this trial. Forty-five patients completed neoadjuvant setting, and all patients completed planned concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). The complete and partial response rates were 28.3 and 56.5 % after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 91.3, 8.7 % after CCRT, respectively. After median follow-up of 26 months (range 12-39 months), one patient experienced local recurrence and 4 patients developed distant metastasis. The 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rate were 94.1 and 72.7 %, respectively. Neutropenia (37.0 %) and vomiting (28.3 %) were the most common Grade 3-4 adverse effects during neoadjuvant course, while mucositis (30.4 %), xerostomia (30.4 %) and radiodermatitis (21.7 %) were the most common Grades 3 acute toxicities during CCRT. Xerostomia (73.9 %), dysphagia (56.5 %), hear loss (30.4 %) and skin reaction (21.7 %) were the common Grade 1-2 late effects. There were no Grades 3-4 late toxicities.

CONCLUSIONS

The protocol of neoadjuvant docetaxel and cisplatin followed by IMRT with concurrent cisplatin was well tolerated, with outstanding compliance and efficacy in locally advanced NPC, which deserved further follow-up.