[Diagnostic value of identifying location and amount of free gas in the abdominal cavity by multidetector computed tomography in patients with acute gastrointestinal perforation]

Objective: To evaluate the relationships between the location and extent of diffusion of free intraperitoneal air by multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) and between the location and size of acute gastrointestinal perforation. Methods: This was a descriptive case series. We examined abdominal CT images of 33 patients who were treated for intraoperatively confirmed gastrointestinal perforation (excluding appendiceal perforation) in the Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital between January and September 2022. We identified five locations of intraperitoneal air: the subphrenic space, hepatic portal space, mid-abdominal wall, mesenteric space, and pelvic cavity. We allocated the 33 patients to an upper gastrointestinal perforation (n=23) and lower gastrointestinal perforation group (n=10) base on intraoperative findings and analyzed the relationships between the locations of free gas and of gastrointestinal perforation. Additionally, we established two models for analyzing the extent of diffusion of free gas in the abdominal cavity and constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to analyze the relationships between the two models and the size of the gastrointestinal perforation. Results: In the upper gastrointestinal perforation group, free gas was located around the hepatic portal area in 91.3% (21/23) of patients: this is a significantly greater proportion than that found in the lower gastrointestinal perforation group (5/10) (P=0.016). In contrast, free gas was located in the mesenteric interspace in 8/10 patients in the lower gastrointestinal perforation group; this is a significantly greater proportion than was found in the upper gastrointestinal perforation group (8.7%, 2/23) (P<0.010). The sensitivity of diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal perforation base on the presence of hepatic portal free gas was 84.8% and the specificity 71.4%. Further, the sensitivity of diagnosis of lower gastrointestinal perforation base on the presence of mesenteric interspace free gas was 80.0% and the specificity 91.3%. The rates of presence of free gas in the subdiaphragmatic area, mid-abdominal wall, and pelvic cavity did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that when free gas was present in four or more of the studied locations in the abdominal cavity, the optimal cutoff for perforation diameter was 2 cm, the corresponding sensitivity 66.7%, and the specificity 100%, suggesting that abdominal free gas diffuses extensively when the diameter of the perforation is >2 cm. Another model revealed that when free gas is present in three or more of the studied locations, the optimal cutoff for perforation diameter is 1 cm, corresponding to a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 76.2%; suggesting that free gas is relatively confined in the abdominal cavity when the diameter of the perforation is <1 cm. Conclusion: Identifying which of five locations in the abdominal cavity contains free intraperitoneal air by examining MSCT images can be used to assist in the diagnosis of the location and size of acute gastrointestinal perforations.

[Analysis of transfusion effect of different platelet matching schemes in patients with platelet transfusion refractoriness]

Objective: To analyze the transfusion effect of different platelet matching schemes in patients with platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR). Methods: A total of 94 patients with PTR received by Taiyuan Blood Center from January to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 26 males and 68 females, aged 53(34,66) years. Platelet antibody screening was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For patients with positive human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class Ⅰ antibodies, Luminex platform liquid chip assay was used to identify the specificity of antibodies, and platelets with missing allelic expression antigen corresponding to their specific antibodies were found in the platelet donor gene database established in our laboratory. For patients with negative class HLA-Ⅰ antibody screening, medium and high-resolution HLA-A and B alleles were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction restriction sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO), and the compatible platelets were searched from the platelet donor gene database by HLA cross-reactive group genotype matching scheme or directly selected by serological cross-matching. The PCI compliance rate and total transfusion effective rate of different mismatch site groups and different matching scheme groups were statistically analyzed. Results: Platelet antibody was detected in 39 of 94 PTR patients with a positive rate of 41.5%, and all of them were HLA-Ⅰ antibodies, and 1 case was accompanied by human platelet antigen (HPA) antibody. A total of 134 times of compatible platelets were supplied to 39 patients with HLA-Ⅰ antibody positive by using antibody avoidance matching method. And the total effective rate of transfusion was 97.8% (131/134); The PCI compliance rates of HLA-A antigen mismatch, HLA-B antigen mismatch and HLA-A and B antigen mismatch groups were 81.6% (31/38), 86.5% (32/37) and 78.6% (22/28), respectively. The total effective rate of transfusion was 97.4% (37/38), 94.6% (35/37) and 100% (28/28), respectively, with no statistical significance (all P>0.05). A total of 118 times of compatible platelets were provided by HLA antigen cross-reaction group genotype matching and serological cross-matching, 90 transfusion effects were collected during follow-up, and the total effective rate was 76.7% (69/90). Conclusion: The combination of different platelet matching schemes can improve the PCI compliance rate and the total effective rate of transfusion in PTR patients.

Reduced-dose radiotherapy for Epstein-Barr virus DNA selected staged III nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A single-arm, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Radiotherapy-related toxicities of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) caused by a standard dose of 70 Gy remain a critical issue. Therefore, we assessed whether a radiotherapy dose of 60 Gy was non-inferior to the standard dose in patients with low-risk stage III NPC with a favourable response to induction chemotherapy (IC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We did a single-arm, single-centre, phase II clinical trial in China. Patients with low-risk (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] DNA level <4000 copies/ml) stage III NPC were treated with two cycles IC. Patients with complete/partial response and undetectable EBV DNA level were assigned 60 Gy intensity-modulated radiotherapy concurrently with three cycles of cisplatin. The primary end-point was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03668730.

RESULTS

One patient quit because of withdrawal of informed consent after IC. In total, 215 patients completed two cycles of IC, after which 116 (54.0%) and 99 (46.0%) patients were assigned 60 and 70 Gy radiotherapy, respectively. For 215 patients, the 2-year PFS was 90.7% (95% CI, 86.8%-94.6%) with a median follow-up of 43.9 months (interquartile range [IQR], 39.8-46.2). For patients treated with 60 Gy radiotherapy, the 2-year PFS rate was 94.8% (95%CI 90.7%-98.9%) with a median follow-up of 43.9 months (IQR 40.2-46.2). The most common late toxicity was grade 1-2 dry mouth (incidence rate: 54.3%). No grade 3+ long-term adverse event was observed, and most quality-of-life items, domains, and symptom scores returned to baseline by 6 months.

CONCLUSION

Reduced-dose radiation (60 Gy) is associated with favourable survival outcomes and limited treatment-related toxicities in patients with low-risk stage III NPC sensitive to IC.

A phase II randomised controlled trial of adjuvant tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes for pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA-selected high-risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

PURPOSE

The safety and objective clinical responses were observed in the phase I study using adjuvant autologous tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

One hundred fifty-six patients with stage III-IVb and pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels of ≥4000 copies/ml were randomly assigned to receive CCRT combined with TIL infusion (n = 78) or CCRT alone (n = 78). All patients received CCRT and patients assigned to the TIL group received TIL infusion within 1 week after CCRT. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) at 3 years.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 62.3 months, no significant difference was observed in the 3-year PFS rate between the CCRT plus TIL infusion group and CCRT alone group (75.6% versus 74.4%, hazard ratios, 1.08; 95% confidence intervals, 0.62-1.89). TIL infusion was safe without grade 3 or 4 adverse events and all the high-grade adverse effects were associated with myelosuppression caused by CCRT. Exploratory analysis showed that a potential survival benefit was observed with TILs in patients with lower levels of circulating CD8+TIM3+ cells, serum IL-8 or PD-L1. The infused TIL products in patients with favourable outcomes were associated with increased transcription of interferon-γ and a series of inflammatory related genes and a lower exhausted score.

CONCLUSION

The primary objective of prolonging PFS with CCRT plus TILs in high-risk NPC patients was not met. These findings may provide evidence for the design of future trials investigating the combination of TILs plus immune checkpoint inhibitors based on CCRT in high-risk NPC patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02421640.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by adjuvant cisplatin-gemcitabine versus cisplatin-fluorouracil chemotherapy for N2-3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with N2-3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma have a high risk of treatment being unsuccessful despite the current practice of using a concurrent adjuvant cisplatin-fluorouracil regimen. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of concurrent adjuvant cisplatin-gemcitabine with cisplatin-fluorouracil in N2-3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

We conducted an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial at four cancer centres in China. Eligible patients were aged 18-65 years with untreated, non-keratinising, stage T1-4 N2-3 M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0-1, and adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive concurrent cisplatin (100 mg/m2 intravenously) on days 1, 22, and 43 of intensity-modulated radiotherapy followed by either gemcitabine (1 g/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8) and cisplatin (80 mg/m2 intravenously for 4 h on day 1) once every 3 weeks or fluorouracil (4 g/m2 in continuous intravenous infusion for 96 h) and cisplatin (80 mg/m2 intravenously for 4 h on day 1) once every 4 weeks, for three cycles. Randomisation was done using a computer-generated random number code with a block size of six, stratified by treatment centre and nodal category. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population (ie, all patients randomly assigned to treatment). Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of chemoradiotherapy. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03321539, and patients are currently under follow-up.

FINDINGS

From Oct 30, 2017, to July 9, 2020, 240 patients (median age 44 years [IQR 36-52]; 175 [73%] male and 65 [27%] female) were randomly assigned to the cisplatin-fluorouracil group (n=120) or cisplatin-gemcitabine group (n=120). As of data cutoff (Dec 25, 2022), median follow-up was 40 months (IQR 32-48). 3-year progression-free survival was 83·9% (95% CI 75·9-89·4; 19 disease progressions and 11 deaths) in the cisplatin-gemcitabine group and 71·5% (62·5-78·7; 34 disease progressions and seven deaths) in the cisplatin-fluorouracil group (stratified hazard ratio 0·54 [95% CI 0·32-0·93]; log rank p=0·023). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events that occurred during treatment were leukopenia (61 [52%] of 117 in the cisplatin-gemcitabine group vs 34 [29%] of 116 in the cisplatin-fluorouracil group; p=0·00039), neutropenia (37 [32%] vs 19 [16%]; p=0·010), and mucositis (27 [23%] vs 32 [28%]; p=0·43). The most common grade 3 or worse late adverse event (occurring from 3 months after completion of radiotherapy) was auditory or hearing loss (six [5%] vs ten [9%]). One (1%) patient in the cisplatin-gemcitabine group died due to treatment-related complications (septic shock caused by neutropenic infection). No patients in the cisplatin-fluorouracil group had treatment-related deaths.

INTERPRETATION

Our findings suggest that concurrent adjuvant cisplatin-gemcitabine could be used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with N2-3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, although long-term follow-up is required to confirm the optimal therapeutic ratio.

FUNDING

National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research, Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangzhou City, Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program, Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province for Distinguished Young Scholar, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program, Pearl River S&T Nova Program of Guangzhou, Planned Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province, Key Youth Teacher Cultivating Program of Sun Yat-sen University, the Rural Science and Technology Commissioner Program of Guangdong Province, and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

[Feasibility and safety of transseptal transcatheter mitral valve replacement for severe mitral regurgitation]

A prospective, single-center, single-arm, and open-design study was performed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of transseptal transcatheter mitral valve replacement in the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation. Patients with symptomatic moderate-severe or severe mitral regurgitation at high-surgical risk and anatomically appropriate for the HighLife transseptal mitral valve replacement (TSMVR) system in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from December 2021 to August 2022 were enrolled. Four patients (1 male and 3 females) with severe mitral regurgitation were included, with a median age of 68.5 (64.0-77.0) years and a median Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score of 8.1% (6.4%-8.9%). Technical success was achieved in all the patients. There was no residual mitral regurgitation, paravalvular leakage, or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Three major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events occurred within 30 days after the procedure, including ventricular tachycardia, iatrogenic atrial septal defect closure, and heart failure readmission. The current study preliminarily demonstrates that transcatheter mitral valve replacement using the HighLife system via the transseptal approach for severe mitral regurgitation is feasible and relatively safe.

Determining the suitability of definitive radiation therapy in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on PET/CT: a large cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To determine patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (mNPC) who would benefit from receiving definitive radiation therapy (DRT) along with their pre-existing palliative chemotherapy (PCT) by evaluating their post-PCT Deauville scores and EBV DNA.

METHODS

A total of 570 mNPC patients, treated with PCT or PCT+DRT, were studied. EBV DNA levels, along with post-PCT Deauville scores, were used to stratify risk based on the recursive partitioning analysis (RPA).

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed in the survival rates of patients with Deauville scores of 1-3 and 4-5 (2-year progression-free survival (PFS): 23.4% versus 8.5%, p < 0.001; 2-year overall survival (OS): 56.8% versus 18.8%, p < 0.001). RPA yielded three distinct groups in the increasing order of risk (Deauville scores of all RPA I-II were within the range of 1-3): (1) RPA I: EBV DNA levels at a pretreatment concentration ≤ 4000 copies/mL and undetectable post-PCT; (2) RPA II: EBV DNA levels either at a pretreatment concentration > 4000 copies/mL or at a pretreatment concentration ≤ 4000 copies/mL and detectable post-PCT; (3) RPA III: Deauville scores 4-5. While patients in RPA I and RPA II had significantly PFS rates when treated with PCT+DRT than when treated with PCT alone (RPA I: 72.7% versus 13.4%, RPA II: 37.8% versus 6.3%), those in RPA III did not experience such PFS benefits (6.5% versus 9.7%).

CONCLUSION

PCT+DRT might improve the survival rates in mNPC patients in the low- and mid-risk strata but not those of patients in the high-risk strata.

KEY POINTS

We use the Deauville scores and the concentrations of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA to determine those patients with de novo metastatic NPC who would benefit from radiation therapy.

Prognostic significance of AKR1C4 and the advantage of combining EBV DNA to stratify patients at high risk of locoregional recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

Distinguishing patients at a greater risk of recurrence is essential for treating locoregional advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to explore the potential of aldo–keto reductase 1C4 (AKR1C4) in stratifying patients at high risk of locoregional relapse.

Methods

A total of 179 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC were grouped by different strategies; they were: (a) divided into two groups according to AKR1C4 expression level, and (b) classified into three clusters by integrating AKR1C4 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine potential prognostic factors, and a nomogram was generated to predict 3-year and 5-year LRFS.

Results

A significant difference in the 5-year LRFS was observed between the high and low AKR1C4 expression groups (83.3% vs. 92.7%, respectively; p = 0.009). After integrating AKR1C4 expression and EBV DNA, the LRFS (84.7%, 84.5%, 96.9%, p = 0.014) of high-, intermediate-, and low- AKR1C4 and EBV DNA was also significant. Multivariate analysis indicated that AKR1C4 expression (p = 0.006) was an independent prognostic factor for LRFS. The prognostic factors incorporated into the nomogram were AKR1C4 expression, T stage, and EBV DNA, and the concordance index of the nomogram for locoregional relapse was 0.718.

Conclusions

In conclusion, high AKR1C4 expression was associated with a high possibility of relapse in NPC patients, and integrating EBV DNA and AKR1C4 can stratify high-risk patients with locoregional recurrence.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09924-3.

Deintensified Chemoradiotherapy for Pretreatment Epstein-Barr Virus DNA-Selected Low-Risk Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Phase II Randomized Noninferiority Trial

PURPOSE

Cumulative doses of 200 mg/m² for concurrent cisplatin (DDP) were indicated by retrospective studies as sufficient in conferring survival benefit for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). We performed an open-label, phase II, randomized, controlled trial to test the noninferiority of a two-cycle 100 mg/m² concurrent DDP regimen over three-cycle in patients with low-risk LA-NPC with pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels < 4,000 copies/mL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive two cycles or three cycles concurrent DDP-based chemoradiotherapy. The primary end point was 3-year progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary end points included overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, etc.

RESULTS

Between September 2016 and October 2018, 332 patients were enrolled, with 166 in each arm. After a median follow-up of 37.7 months, the estimated 3-year PFS rates were 88.0% in the two-cycle group and 90.4% in the three-cycle group, with a difference of 2.4% (95% CI, -4.3 to 9.1, P_{noninferiority} = .014). No differences were observed between groups in terms of PFS, overall survival, and the cumulative incidences of locoregional relapse and distant metastasis. Patients in the three-cycle group developed significantly more grade 3-4 mucositis (41 [24.8%] v 25 [15.1%]), hyponatremia (26 [15.8%] v 14 [8.4%]), and dermatitis (9 [5.5%] v 2 [1.2%]). The overall all-grade and grade 3-4 toxicity burdens were heavier in three-cycle group (T-scores, 12.33 v 10.57, P < .001 for all grades; 1.76 v 1.44, P = .05 for grade 3-4). Patients in the three-cycle group also showed more all-grade hearing impairment, dry mouth and skin fibrosis, and impaired long-term quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus two cycles of concurrent 100 mg/m² DDP could be an alternative treatment option for patients with low-risk LA-NPC.

Association of Treatment Advances With Survival Rates in Pediatric Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in China, 1989-2020

IMPORTANCE

Advanced techniques and treatment methods have been found to be associated with improved survival rates in adults with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, not much is known about associations in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether advanced imaging diagnosis, radiotherapy (RT) technology, and treatment modality are associated with survival in pediatric patients with NPC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this retrospective cohort study, 810 pediatric patients ages 21 years and younger with nonmetastatic NPC diagnosed from 1989 to 2020 at a single cancer center in China were included. Data were analyzed from April through December 2021.

EXPOSURES

Patients were divided into 3 groups by initial treatment date (ie, 1989-2002, 2003-2011, and 2012-2020). Associations between advances in technology and treatment and survival were investigated. Comparisons of advances vs older technology and treatments included those in imaging diagnosis (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] vs computed tomography [CT] and positron emission tomography [PET]-CT with MRI vs CT), radiotherapy (RT) techniques (intensity-modulated RT [IMRT] or TomoTherapy [TOMO] vs 2-dimensional conventional radiotherapy [2D-CRT] or 3-dimensional conventional radiotherapy [3D-CRT]), and treatment methods (concurrent chemoradiotherapy [CCRT] vs RT alone, induction chemotherapy [IC] with CCRT vs RT alone, and CCRT or RT with adjuvant chemotherapy [AC] vs RT alone).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points were overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival, and locoregional recurrence-free survival. Cox and competing-risks regression were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for associations between variables and survival.

RESULTS

Among 810 pediatric patients with NPC, the median (IQR) age was 18 (15-20) years, and there were 577 [71.2%] male patients. This included 122 patients in the 1989 to 2002 period, 212 patients in the 2003 to 2011 period, and 476 patients in the 2012 to 2020 period. The 5-year PFS and OS rates increased, respectively, from 65.9% (95% CI, 56.6%-73.7%) and 69.9% (95% CI, 60.7%-77.4%) in 1989 to 2002 to 79.8% (95% CI, 73.7%-84.7%) and 86.2% (95% CI, 80.6%-90.3%) in 2003 to 2011, then 88.1% (95% CI, 84.2%-91.1%) and 95.0% (95% CI, 91.5%-97.0%) in 2012 to 2020. The 5- year cumulative incidence of distant metastasis rate was similar in the 3 periods (1989-2002: 11.7% [95% CI, 7.0%- 19.4%]; 2003-2011: 18.0% [95% CI, 13.4%-24.0%]; 2012-2020: 10.4% [95% CI, 7.6%-14.1%], while the 5-year cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence rate decreased from 22.5% (95% CI, 15.9%-31.3%) in the first period to 2.9% (95% CI, 1.3%-6.3%) in the second period, remaining stable in the third period, at 4.3% (95% CI, 2.4%-7.6%). Advances in imaging diagnosis (MRI vs CT: hazard ratio [HR], 0.25 [95% CI, 0.17-0.38]; PET-CT with MRI vs CT: HR, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.27-0.62]), radiotherapy techniques (IMRT or TOMO vs 2D-CRT or 3D-CRT: HR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.30-0.59]), and treatment methods (CCRT vs RT alone: HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.32-0.96]; IC with CCRT vs RT alone: HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.38-0.91]; CCRT or RT with AC vs RT alone: HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.25-0.91]) were associated with improved PFS.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study found that advanced techniques and treatment methods were associated with improved survival rates in pediatric patients with NPC, but distant failure remained a key challenge.

[Preliminary clinical experience of the novel transcatheter aortic valve system Prizvalve® for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the novel Prizvalve^® system in treating severe aortic stenosis. Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, single-arm, observational study. A total of 11 patients with severe aortic stenosis with high risk or inappropriate for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) were included, and TAVI was achieved with the Prizvalve^® system between March 2021 and May 2021 in West China Hospital. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed immediately after prosthesis implantation to evaluate mean transaortic gradient and maximal transaortic velocity. The device success rate was calculated, which was defined as (1) the device being delivered via the access, deployed, implanted and withdrawn, (2) mean transaortic gradient<20 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) or a maximal transaortic velocity<3 m/s post TAVI, and without severe aortic regurgitation or paravalvular leak post TAVI. TTE was performed at 30 days after the surgery, and all-cause mortality as well as the major cardiovascular adverse events (including acute myocardial infarction, disabling hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke) up to 30 days post TAVI were analyzed. Results: The age of 11 included patients were (78.1±6.3) years, with 8 males. A total of 10 patients were with NYHA functional class Ⅲ or Ⅳ. Devices were delivered via the access, deployed, implanted and withdrawn successfully in all patients. Post-implant mean transaortic gradient was (7.55±4.08) mmHg and maximal transaortic velocity was (1.78±0.44) m/s, and both decreased significantly as compared to baseline levels (both P<0.05). No severe aortic regurgitation or paravalvular leak was observed post TAVI. Device success was achieved in all the 11 patients. No patient died or experienced major cardiovascular adverse events up to 30 days post TAVI. Mean transaortic gradient was (9.45±5.07) mmHg and maximal transaortic velocity was (2.05±0.42) m/s at 30 days post TAVI, which were similar as the values measured immediately post TAVI (both P>0.05). Conclusions: TAVI with the Prizvalve^® system is a feasible and relatively safe procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis and at high risk or inappropriate for SAVR. Further clinical studies could be launched to obtain more clinical experience with Prizvalve^® system.

The prognostic role of plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA levels in the middle of intensity-modulated radiotherapy to guide cisplatin dose recommendation in concurrent chemoradiation therapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A large cohort study

Purpose

Methods and Materials

Results

Conclusions

Percent change in apparent diffusion coefficient and plasma EBV DNA after induction chemotherapy identifies distinct prognostic response phenotypes in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the prognostic value of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and monitor the early treatment response to induction chemotherapy (IC) with plasma EBV DNA in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC).

RESULTS

A total of 307 stage III-IVb NPC patients were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent MRI examinations to calculate ADC and plasma EBV DNA measurements pretreatment and post-IC. The participants' ADC value of 92.5% (284/307) increased post-IC. A higher percent change in ADC value (ΔADC%_high group) post-IC was associated with a higher 5-year OS rate (90.7% vs 74.9%, p < 0.001) than those in the ΔADC%_low group. Interestingly, ΔADC% was closely related to the response measured by RECIST 1.1 (p < 0.001) and plasma EBV DNA level (p = 0.037). The AUC significantly increased when post-IC plasma EBV DNA was added to ΔADC% to predict treatment failure. Thus, based on ΔADC% and plasma EBV DNA, we further divided the participants into three new prognostic response phenotypes (early response, intermediate response, and no response) that correlated with disparate risks of death (p = 0.001), disease progression (p < 0.001), distant metastasis (p < 0.001), and locoregional relapse (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The percentage change in ADC post-IC is indicative of treatment response and clinical outcome. ΔADC% and plasma EBV DNA-based response phenotypes may provide potential utility for early termination of treatment and allow guiding risk-adapted therapeutic strategies for LA-NPC.

Effect of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy With Nedaplatin vs Cisplatin on the Long-term Outcomes of Survival and Toxic Effects Among Patients With Stage II to IVB Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A 5-Year Follow-up Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Nedaplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) regimen at 2 years was noninferior to cisplatin-based regimen in patients with locoregional, stage II to IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and was associated with fewer late adverse events, but longer-term outcomes and toxicity are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the 5-year outcomes and late toxicity profile of nedaplatin-based CCRT in patients with locoregional, stage II to IVB NPC.

DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS

This 5-year follow-up secondary analysis of an open-label, noninferiority, multicenter randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with nonkeratinizing stage II to IVB NPC between January 16, 2012, and July 16, 2014, with a median follow-up duration of 78 months (IQR, 3-99 months). Data analysis was conducted from November 10, 2020, to July 8, 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive nedaplatin (100 mg/m2)- or cisplatin (100 mg/m2)-based chemotherapy every 3 weeks for 3 cycles concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points were overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and locoregional relapse-free survival.

RESULTS

A total of 402 eligible participants were enrolled (median [IQR] age, 45 [18-65] years; 302 [75.1%] male). Patients were randomly assigned to receive nedaplatin- or cisplatin-based CCRT (n = 201 for each): 196 patients (97.5%) started nedaplatin-based CCRT and 197 patients (98.0%) started cisplatin-based CCRT. Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated a 5-year progression-free survival rate of 81.4% (95% CI, 75.9%-86.9%) for the cisplatin group and 79.8% (95% CI, 74.1%-85.5%) for nedaplatin group, with a difference of 1.6% (95% CI, -6.3% to 9.5%; P = .002 for noninferiority). No significant survival differences were observed between the cisplatin and nedaplatin groups for 5-year overall survival (89.4% vs 88.8%, P = .63), distant metastasis-free survival (85.9% vs 90.4%, P = .17), and locoregional relapse-free survival (92.6% vs 89.6%, P = .17) rates. The cisplatin group had a higher incidence of grade 3 and 4 auditory toxic effects than the nedaplatin group (35 [17.7%] vs 21 [10.5%], P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, long-term analysis confirmed that nedaplatin-based CCRT could be regarded as an alternative doublet treatment strategy to cisplatin-based CCRT in stage II to IVB NPC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01540136.

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A case report

Alpha-fetoprotein hardly increased due to nasopharyngeal cancer. In this article, we reported a 57-year-old male nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient who had posttreatment subscapular metastasis with high serum alpha-fetoprotein but negative plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA. Pathology results indicated that the scapular mass was undifferentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma originated in the nasopharynx. Moreover, no liver lesion was detected by imaging examination. In view of the positive alpha-fetoprotein and alpha-fetoprotein messenger RNA staining result in the right scapular mass fine needle aspiration biopsy sample, we considered the diagnosis of alpha-fetoprotein-producing nasopharyngeal carcinoma that had never been reported before.

Induction or adjuvant chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in paediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the IMRT era: A recursive partitioning risk stratification analysis based on EBV DNA

PURPOSE

To compare the prognosis and adverse effects of induction or adjuvant chemotherapy (IC or AC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) versus CCRT alone in paediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

549 patients diagnosed from 2005 to 2021 were enrolled. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was applied to derive a risk stratification system. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to assess the cumulative survival rates, and cox analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between variables and endpoints.

RESULTS

The RPA-based risk stratification identified three different risk groups. In the intermediate-risk (stage IVa and EBV<4000 copies/ml) group, patients who received IC followed by CCRT achieved a significantly better 3-year PFS rate than those treated with CCRT alone (87.35% versus 75.89%; P = 0.04). But survival benefit was not obtained from the additional IC or AC in the low-risk (stage II-III and EBV<4000 copies/ml) or high-risk (stage II-IVa and EBV≥4000 copies/ml) group. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events in patients treated with CCRT, IC + CCRT, and CCRT + AC were neutropenia (8.1%, 33.0% versus 36.9%, respectively) and leukopenia (14.1%, 26.8% versus 32.3%, respectively) with statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Paediatric NPC patients in the intermediate-risk group treated with IC followed by CCRT had significantly better PFS compared with patients treated with CCRT alone. And the overall incidence of acute adverse events in patients treated with IC or AC plus CCRT was higher than in patients treated with CCRT alone.

Identifying distinct risks of treatment failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A study based on the dynamic changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes, N classification, and plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the prognostic value of the dynamic change in absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) and absolute monocyte counts (AMCs) and identify patients with N stage and plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who are at risk of treatment failure.

METHODS

A total of 1124 eligible patients with Stage II-IVb NPC treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were enrolled. Percentage changes in the ALC (ΔALC%) and AMC (ΔAMC%) were calculated.

RESULTS

Patients with high ΔALC% were correlated with poorer 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates than those with low ΔALC%. Likewise, high ΔAMC% was significantly associated with worse outcome than low ΔAMC% (OS, p = 0.001; PFS, p = 0.001; DMFS, p = 0.034). Multivariate analyses revealed that ΔALC% (p = 0.046), ΔAMC% (p = 0.019), and EBV DNA level (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS. With respect to PFS, ΔALC% (p = 0.036), ΔAMC% (p = 0.011), N classification (p = 0.016), and EBV DNA level (p < 0.001) were also independent prognosticators. Based on the aforementioned independent risk factors (ΔALC% ≥ 83.33%, ΔAMC% ≥ 40.00%, Stage N2-3, EBV DNA ≥ 4000 copies/ml), patients were divided into three different risk groups (low-risk group [with <1 risk factor], intermediate risk group [with 1-3 risk factors], and high-risk group [with 4 risk factors]) that correlated with disparate risks of death (p < 0.001), disease progression (p < 0.001), and distant metastasis (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High ΔALC% and ΔAMC% were correlated with poor prognosis in patients with NPC. Risk stratification based on ΔALC%, ΔAMC%, N classification, and plasma EBV DNA levels could provide potential utility for risk-adapted therapeutic strategies for NPC.

Increased Angiogenin Expression Correlates With Radiation Resistance and Predicts Poor Survival for Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background: Despite the development of such multiple therapeutic approaches, approximately 20% patients experience recurrence. Identification of molecular markers for stratifying the different risks of tumour recurrence and progression is considered imperative.

Methods: We used a RayBio Human Cytokine Antibody Array that simultaneously detected the levels of 297 proteins and profiled the conditioned medium of HONE1 cells and the radioresistant NPC cells HONE1-IR. We found Angiogenin(ANG) expression to be significantly increased in HONE1-IR and HONE1-IR cells exposed to 4-Gy X-ray radiation.

Results: We investigated the expression of ANG in NPC tissues and explored its prognostic significance in patients with NPC. We found that ANG expression was increased in recurrent NPC tissues. Elevated expression of ANG induced radio-resistance in NPC cells, in addition to being significantly associated with shorter PFS, OS, and LRFS in patients with NPC. Multivariate analysis results revealed that ANG was an independent prognostic factor that predicted PFS, OS, and LRFS. Furthermore, a nomogram model was generated to predict OS in terms of ANG expression.

Conclusion: Our results found the radioresistant function of ANG and proved the clinical prognostic significance of ANG, and the results could help predict radio-sensitivity and stratify high-risk patients or tumour recurrence.

De-intensified chemoradiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on plasma EBV DNA: A phase 2 randomized noninferiority trial

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Background: The cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), given at a dose of 100 mg/m2 for 3 cycles during radiotherapy, is the major treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). As several retrospective studies showed that receiving a cumulative cisplatin dose of 200 mg/m2 can bring survival benefits to NPC patients, we sought to test the non-inferiority of 2-cycle concurrent cisplatin over 3-cycle in locoregionally advanced NPC with Epstein-barr virus (EBV) DNA levels < 4000 copies/ml. Methods: We did a non-inferiority, phase 2, randomised controlled trial. Patients were enrolled with stage III–IVB NPC, EBV DNA levels < 4000 copies/ml, aged 18–70 and adequate haematological, renal, and hepatic function. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 2 or 3 cycles of cisplatin-based CCRT. Patients in the 2-cycle group were scheduled to receive 100 mg/m2 cisplatin given every 3 weeks concurrently with radiotherapy, and patients in the 3-cycle group received 100 mg/m2 cisplatin given every 3 weeks for 3 cycles. Randomization was done by a computer-generated random number code with a block size of six, stratified by clinical stage III or IV. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival (PFS), with a non-inferiority margin of 10%. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, ID. NCT02871518. Results: Between September 2016 and October 2018, 342 patients were enrolled, of whom 332 were randomly assigned to receive 2 or 3 cycles of cisplatin. 314 (94.6%) patients completed protocol-defined cycles of chemotherapy. After median follow-up of 33.6 months, 20 (12.0%) patients in the 2-cycle group and 17 (10.2%) patients in the 3-cycle group had tumor progression, and the 3-year PFS rates were 88.0% and 90.4% respectively, with a difference of 2.4% (95%CI -4.3 to 9.1, Pnon-inferiority < 0.001). In the per-protocol analysis, 3-year PFS was 88.5% in the 2-cycle group and 90.6% in the 3-cycle group, with a difference of 2.1% (95% CI –4.7 to 8.9; Pnon-inferiority= 0.001). No significant difference was observed concerning OS, LRRFS and DMFS. The grade 3 or 4 acute adverse events were recorded in 113 (68.1%) patients in the 2-cycle group and 116 (69.9%) patients in the 3-cycle group. Patients in the 3-cycle group was observed to have significantly more hyponatremia. Besides, patients in the 3-cycle group presented with more grade 1 or 2 dry mouth, dysphagia, weight loss, fatigue, constipation, fever, mucositis and dermatitis. More grade 3 or 4 anorexia, mucositis and dermatitis were also recorded in the 3-cycle group. No patients died from treatment-related toxicities. Conclusions: IMRT plus 2 cycles of concurrent 100 mg/m2 cisplatin could be an alternative option for patients with low-risk locoregionally advanced NPC. Further phase III studies are needed to validate the findings of this study. Clinical trial information: NCT02871518.

Geriatric nutritional risk index as an independent prognostic factor in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated using radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Nutritional status is a key factor influencing the prognosis of patients with cancer. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) has been used to predict mortality risk and long-term outcomes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of pretreatment GNRI in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

A total of 1,065 patients with biopsy-proven non-disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma were included. Based on a cutoff value of pretreatment GNRI, patients were divided into two groups (low ≤107.7 and high >107.7). Combining GNRI and baseline Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA, all patients were further stratified into three risk groups, namely, high-risk (high EBV DNA and low GNRI), low-risk (low EBV DNA and high GNRI), and medium-risk (except the above) groups. Multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model to assess the predictive value of the GNRI.

RESULTS

Among the 1,065 patients, 527 (49.5%) and 538 (50.5%) were divided into low and high GNRI groups, respectively. Within a median follow-up of 83 months, patients with a high GNRI score exhibited significantly higher overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) compared to those with low GNRI scores (P<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that high GNRI is an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS (hazard ratio, HR, 0.471, 95% CI, 0.270-0.822, P=0.008; HR 0.638, 95% CI, 0.433-0.941, P=0.023, respectively). Using a combination of baseline GNRI and EBV DNA, a satisfying separation of survival curves between different risk groups for OS, PFS, DMFS was observed. The survival rates of patients in the high-risk group were significantly lower than those in the low- and medium-risk groups (all P<0.001). The combined classification was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS after adjustment using multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment GNRI is an independent prognostic factor for NPC patients. The combination of baseline GNRI score and EBV DNA level improved the prognostic stratification of NPC patients.

Low value of whole-body dual-modality [18f]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in primary staging of stage I-II nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a nest case-control study

Objectives

The value of using PET/CT for staging of stage I–II NPC remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to investigate the survival benefit of PET/CT for staging of early-stage NPC before radical therapy.

Methods

A total of 1003 patients with pathologically confirmed NPC of stages I–II were consecutively enrolled. Among them, 218 patients underwent both PET/CT and conventional workup ([CWU], head-and-neck MRI, chest radiograph, liver ultrasound, bone scintigraphy) before treatment. The remaining 785 patients only underwent CWU. The standard of truth (SOT) for lymph node metastasis was defined by the change of size according to follow-up MRI. The diagnostic efficacies were compared in 218 patients who underwent both PET/CT and CWU. After covariate adjustment using propensity scoring, a cohort of 872 patients (218 with and 654 without pre-treatment PET/CT) was included. The primary outcome was overall survival based on intention to treat.

Results

Retropharyngeal lymph nodes were metastatic based on follow-up MRI in 79 cases. PET/CT was significantly less sensitive than MRI in detecting retropharyngeal lymph node lesions (72.2% [62.3–82.1] vs. 91.1% [84.8–97.4], p = 0.004). Neck lymph nodes were metastatic in 89 cases and PET/CT was more sensitive than MRI (96.6% [92.8–100.0] vs. 76.4% [67.6–85.2], p < 0.001). In the survival analyses, there was no association between pre-treatment PET/CT use and improved overall survival, progression-free survival, local relapse-free survival, regional relapse-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival.

Conclusions

This study showed PET/CT is of little value for staging of stage I–II NPC patients at initial imaging.

Key Points

• PET/CT was more sensitive than MRI in detecting neck lymph node lesions whereas it was significantly less sensitive than MRI in detecting retropharyngeal lymph node lesions.

• No association existed between pre-treatment PET/CT use and improved survival in stage I–II NPC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00330-020-07478-1.

Optimizing the Treatment Pattern for De Novo Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients: A Large-Scale Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives

To investigate the optimal treatment pattern in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

We assessed 502 consecutive and unselected de novo metastatic NPC patients in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) from November 2006 to October 2016 in our study. All patients were treated with palliative chemotherapy (PCT) and 308 patients received locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) subsequently. Our primary study endpoint was overall survival (OS).

Results

The patients treated with LRRT were associated with improved survival on univariate analysis (3-year OS rate 63.7% vs. 31.8%, P < 0.001) and multivariate analysis (HR 0.52, 95%CI 0.40-0.68, P < 0.001). The overall survival benefit of more than 4 PCT cycles was significant in female (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.86, P = 0.016) and patients with multiple metastatic sites (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.26-0.66, P < 0.001). The application of concurrent chemotherapy (CCT) was not associated with better survival among patients receiving LRRT (HR 1.31, 95% CI 0.92-1.86, P = 0.141).

Conclusion

LRRT prolonged survival in de novo metastatic NPC. For patients treated with multiple metastatic sites, more than 4 cycles of PCT is necessary. CCT does not improve survival in de novo metastatic NPC patients.

Tuning the hysteresis of a metal-insulator transition via lattice compatibility

Structural phase transitions serve as the basis for many functional applications including shape memory alloys (SMAs), switches based on metal-insulator transitions (MITs), etc. In such materials, lattice incompatibility between transformed and parent phases often results in a thermal hysteresis, which is intimately tied to degradation of reversibility of the transformation. The non-linear theory of martensite suggests that the hysteresis of a martensitic phase transformation is solely determined by the lattice constants, and the conditions proposed for geometrical compatibility have been successfully applied to minimizing the hysteresis in SMAs. Here, we apply the non-linear theory to a correlated oxide system (V_1−xW_xO₂), and show that the hysteresis of the MIT in the system can be directly tuned by adjusting the lattice constants of the phases. The results underscore the profound influence structural compatibility has on intrinsic electronic properties, and indicate that the theory provides a universal guidance for optimizing phase transforming materials.

The effect of the lattice degrees of freedom on the metal-insulator transition of VO₂ remains a topic of debate. Here the authors show that the lattice compatibility of the high temperature tetragonal phase and the low-temperature monoclinic phase strongly influences the electronic transition, as manifested in the tunability of its hysteresis via chemical substitution.

Induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of different risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background:

This study aimed to investigate the efficiency and toxicities of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by radiotherapy (RT) in different risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods:

A total of 1814 eligible patients with stage II–IVB disease treated with CCRT or IC plus RT were included. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the differences were compared using the log-rank test.

Results:

Nomograms were developed to predict OS, PFS and DMFS (C-index: 0.71, 0.70 and 0.71, respectively). Patients were then divided into three different risk groups based on the scores calculated by the nomogram for OS. In the low and intermediate-risk group, no significant survival differences were observed between patients treated with IC plus RT alone and CCRT (5-year OS, 97.3% versus 95.6%, p = 0.642 and 87.6% versus 89.7%, p = 0.381, respectively; PFS, 95.9% versus 95.6%, p = 0.325 and 87.6% versus 89.0%, p = 0.160, respectively; DMFS, 97.2% versus 94.8%, p = 0.339 and 87.2% versus 89.3%, p = 0.628, respectively). However, in the high-risk group, IC plus RT displayed an unfavorable 5-year OS (71.0% versus 77.2%, p = 0.022) and PFS (69.4.0% versus 75.4%, p = 0.019) compared with CCRT. A significantly higher incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse events was documented in patients treated with CCRT than in those treated with IC plus RT in all risk groups (p = 0.040).

Conclusion:

IC followed by RT represents an alternative treatment strategy to CCRT for patients with low and intermediate-risk NPC, but it is not recommended for patients with high-risk NPC.

Establishment of a prognostic nomogram to identify optimal candidates for local treatment among patients with local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Thus far, there is no final conclusion on the treatment of local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (lrNPC) patients. Herein, we developed a nomogram which combined prognostic biomarkers to predict clinical outcome and guide individual treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From 2006 to 2016, 303 patients with lrNPC were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. The nomogram was established with the significant prognostic factors (P < 0.05) selected by multivariate analysis using Cox regression model. Harrell Concordance Index (C-index), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were applied to evaluate this model.

RESULTS

Four independent prognostic factors (age, hypertension, relapsed T (rT) stage, and Epstein-Barr virus DNA) identified from multivariable analysis were included into the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.687. The calibration curves for 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rate showed satisfactory agreements between the predicted and actual values. The decision curve analysis also exhibited a preferable net benefit of this model. All patients were subdivided into three risk groups based on the nomogram. Local treatment was associated with higher OS than palliative chemotherapy alone in the low (P < 0.001) and intermediate-risk groups (P = 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between different treatment methods in the high-risk group (P = 0.176).

CONCLUSION

We established the nomogram for patients with lrNPC to predict OS and guide individual treatment, which showed satisfactory performance in accuracy, discrimination capability, and clinical utility.

The role of capecitabine as maintenance therapy in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A propensity score matching study

Background

Capecitabine was previously used as a second‐line or salvage therapy for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and has shown satisfactory curative effect as maintenance therapy in other metastatic cancers. This study aimed to explore the role of capecitabine as maintenance therapy in de novo metastatic NPC patients with different plasma Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels before treatment.

Methods

We selected de novo metastatic NPC patients treated with locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) for this retrospective study. The propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance potential confounders between patients who underwent capecitabine maintenance therapy and those who did not with a ratio of 1:3. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. The association between capecitabine maintenance therapy and survival was assessed using the log‐rank test and a Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

Among all patients eligible for this study, 64 received capecitabine maintenance therapy after LRRT. After PSM, 192 patients were identified in the non‐maintenance group. In the matched cohort, patients treated with capecitabine achieved a higher 3‐year OS rate compared with patients in the non‐maintenance group (68.5% vs. 61.8%, P = 0.037). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that capecitabine maintenance therapy was an independent prognostic factor. In subgroup analysis, 3‐year OS rate was comparable between the maintenance and non‐maintenance groups in patients with high pretreatment EBV DNA levels (˃30,000 copies/mL) (54.8% vs. 45.8%, P = 0.835), whereas patients with low pretreatment EBV DNA levels (≤30,000 copies/mL) could benefit from capecitabine maintenance therapy in OS (90.0% vs. 68.1%, P = 0.003).

Conclusion

Capecitabine maintenance therapy may be superior to non‐maintenance therapy in prolonging OS for de novo metastatic NPC patients with pretreatment EBV DNA ≤ 30,000 copies/mL.

Comparing three induction chemotherapy regimens for patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on TNM stage and plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA level

Background

We compared the efficacy and toxicity of three IC regimens (TPF: taxanes, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil; TP: taxanes and cisplatin; and PF: cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) followed by CCRT in locoregionally advanced NPC.

Methods

The retrospective study involved 1354 patients with newly diagnosed stage III-IVA NPC treated with IC and CCRT. The median follow-up time in our cohort was 50 months. Based on EBV DNA level, all the patients with stage IV were divided into low- (pre-EBV DNA < 1500 copies) and high-risk group (pre-EBV DNA ≥ 1500 copies). Progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), locoregional relapse free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS) and grade 3–4 toxicities were compared among different IC regimens. The survival rates were compared using log-rank test and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to perform multivariate analyses.

Results

A multivariate analysis revealed TPF to be more effective than TP. Among stage III patients, no significant difference in clinical outcome between the different IC regimens was showed, while TPF was associated with significantly better survival conditions in the stage IV patients. A further subgroup analysis revealed that only patients with pre-EBV DNA ≥ 1500 copies could benefit from the application of TPF among stage IV NPC. In terms of acute toxicities, PF was associated with fewer grade 3/4 acute toxicities.

Conclusions

In low-risk NPC patients, PF-based IC showed similar efficacy as TPF and TP but was associated with fewer grade 3/4 acute toxicities. In high-risk patients, however, the TPF regimen was superior to PF and TP, although grade 3/4 toxicities were more common with the TPF regimen.

Maximal standard uptake values of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography compared with Epstein-Barr virus DNA as prognostic indicators in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of maximal standard uptake values (SUVmax) of ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (PET) comparing with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Methods

From December 2006 to December 2016, 253 de novo metastatic NPC patients assessed by PET/ computed tomography were involved in current study. SUVmax-T, SUVmax-N, and SUVmax-M referred to the SUVmax at the primary tumor, cervical lymph nodes, and metastatic lesions respectively. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint.

Result

Patients who died during the follow-up had significantly higher SUVmax-N, SUVmax-M, and EBV DNA level than those in the patients who were alive. SUVmax-N and SUVmax-M were positively correlated with EBV DNA level. The cut-off values of SUVmax-T, SUVmax-N, SUVmax-M, and EBV DNA were 17.0, 12.7, and 6.9, and 13,800 copies/mL respectively, which were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Patients with elevated SUVmax-N, SUVmax-M, and EBV DNA levels had a lower 3-year OS rate. In multivariate analysis, the independent prognostic factors of OS included EBV DNA, metastatic site, and locoregional radiotherapy application, while SUVmax was not an independent prognostic factor.

Conclusion

In de novo metastatic NPC patients, higher SUVmax-N and SUVmax-M were associated with worse prognosis. However, the predictive ability of SUVmax-N and SUVmax-M was poorer than that of EBV DNA.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-6106-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Palliative chemotherapy with or without anti-EGFR therapy for de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a propensity score-matching study

Objective

We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab (CTX) or nimotuzumab (NTZ) on the addition of palliative chemotherapy (PCT) in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials and methods

From 2007 to 2016, 451 eligible patients with de novo metastatic NPC were enrolled in the study. With propensity score matching technique, we created a well-balanced cohort by matching patients who received CTX/NTZ plus PCT (62 patients) with those receiving PCT alone (248 patients) in a ratio of 1:4. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). All potential prognostic factors were involved in the multivariate analysis with the Cox regression hazards model. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the survival status, and log-rank test to measure the significance.

Results

The median follow-up time was 27.7 months (range, 1-126 months). No significant difference in survival was observed between the CTX/NTZ plus PCT group and PCT group. (3-year OS: 63.0% vs 58.1%; P=0.485). The administration of CTX/NTZ was not found to be an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. With regard to toxicity, the development of a G3-4 skin reaction and mucositis was more common in patients receiving CTX plus PCT. Interaction effects analysis did not show any significant interaction effects on OS between the treatment regimen and prognostic factors (P>0.05).

Conclusion

The efficacy of CTX/NTZ and PCT is comparable to single PCT treatment in terms of survival outcomes among de novo metastatic NPC patients. Moreover, the application of CTX exacerbated skin reactions and mucositis.

The impact of Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 on the clinical outcome of elderly nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy: a matched cohort analysis

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic significance of Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) for elderly patients (age ≥70 years) with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), with or without chemotherapy.

Methods: 206 elderly patients with locoregionally advanced NPC treated from December 2006 to December 2016 were involved into analysis as the training cohort. Besides, a separate cohort of 72 patients from the same cancer center collected between January 2003 and October 2006 served as the validation cohort. By using propensity score matching (PSM), we created a balanced cohort by matching patients who received chemoradiotherapy with patients who received IMRT alone. Treatment toxicities were calculated between CRT and RT groups using the χ² test. The primary endpoint was cancer-specific survival (CSS). Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relative risk for each factor by using a Cox's proportional hazards regression model.

Results: The median follow-up was 39.0 months (range = 3-137 months). In the PSM cohort, patients in the CRT group achieved comparable survival compared with patients in the RT group. The 3-year CSS rate was 64.3% and 65.2%, respectively (P =0.764). In multivariate analysis, the addition of chemotherapy to IMRT was not an independent prognostic factor for CSS, whereas a high ACE-27 score was an independent risk factor. In subgroup analysis with ACE-27 score ≥ 2, the 3-year CSS rate was worse in patients from the CRT group (63.5% vs. 46.3%, P = 0.041).

Conclusions: CRT is comparable to IMRT alone for elderly patients with locoregionally advanced NPC. The ACE-27 tool may help to identify high-risk subgroup for poor disease outcome and tailor individualized treatment.

Role of zoledronic acid in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with bone-only metastasis at diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate whether zoledronic acid (ZA) can prevent skeletal-related events (SREs) and offer survival benefits for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with bone-only metastasis at diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 228 newly diagnosed NPC cases with bone-only metastasis were eligible for this retrospective study. Using the propensity score method (PSM) method, a well-balanced cohort was created for further analysis. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. The difference in survival was evaluated using the log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality were derived from a Cox regression model. Cumulative incidence competing risk analyses using Fine and Gray's method was used to test the cumulative incidence of SREs between the different treatment groups.

RESULT

In the PSM cohorts, patients in the platinum-based palliative chemotherapy (PCT) + ZA group and PCT alone group achieved similar 3-year OS (57.3% vs. 46.4%; log rank P = 0.188). Multivariate analysis indicated that ZA administration was not an independent prognostic factor (HR, 0.783; 95% CI, 0.267-2.300; P = 0.657). There was no significant difference in acute treatment toxicity between the 2 treatment groups, although the cumulative incidence of bone-related events (SREs) was significantly lower in the PCT + ZA group (Fine-Gray P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

ZA combined with PCT could not improve OS in NPC patients with bone-only metastasis at diagnosis. However, the incidence of SREs could be effectively prevented via ZA application.

The development of a nomogram to predict post-radiation necrosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: a large-scale cohort study

Objective: This study aimed to establish a nomogram to predict the risk of post-radiation necrosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Background: This study was performed to identify influencing factors for developing post-radiation necrosis, and to establish an effective nomogram model to predict individual risks in NPC patients.

Methods: 7144 NPC patients receiving radical radiotherapy from 2007 to 2012 were involved in the study, and 207 of them developed nasopharyngeal necrosis (NPN). The clinical characteristics and baseline laboratory results were collected and analyzed. Independent predictive factors were selected using the Cox proportional model and incorporated into the nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic curve and the calibration curve were used to verify discrimination and calibration.

Results: The experience of re-irradiation contributed most to the occurrence of NPN (HR, 15.56, 95% CI 10.84–22.35, p<0.001). Clinical factors including age, pathology type, history of diabetes, and original T stage were independent predictors of NPN. Factors reflecting patients’ baseline nutritional and inflammatory status such as hemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein were also significantly associated with the development of NPN. With all independent predictive factors incorporated, a nomogram was generated, and it showed excellent discrimination and calibration.

Conclusion: This study was the first large-scale cohort study focusing on the development of NPN and established a nomogram to predict its occurrence based on the clinical and laboratory indicators. The nomogram demonstrated good discriminative capacity and satisfactory agreement, which would offer valuable clues for clinicians to distinguish the high-risk NPN population and maintain close surveillance.

Individualized concurrent chemotherapy by pretreatment plasma Epstein-Barr viral DNA in II-III stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis using a large cohort

Object

To ascertain the treatment effect of concurrent chemotherapy (CCT) in stage II‐III nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with different Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) DNA level in intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era.

Methods

A total of 2742 patients diagnosed with stage II‐III NPC were involved in this study. Patients received IMRT with/without CCT. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. Receiver operating characteristics curve was used to determine the cut‐off value of pre‐DNA based on OS. After propensity score matching, the role of CCT was explored in patients with different EBV DNA level.

Results

In our cohort, the cut‐off value of pre EBV DNA was 1460 copies/mL (area under curve [AUC], 0.695‐0.769; sensitivity, 0.766; specificity, 0.599). Patients with high EBV DNA level showed poor survival in OS, progression free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse‐free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS). In patients with EBV DNA level >1460 copies/mL, the concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) group achieved higher 3‐year OS compared with IMRT groups. However, the CCRT and IMRT groups showed comparable OS in patients with EBV DNA ≤1460 copies/mL. In multivariate analyses, CCT was a protective factor for OS, PFS, and LRFS in high‐risk patients (EBV DNA level >1460 copies/mL), while not an independent prognostic factor among the low‐risk patients (EBV DNA level ≤1460 copies/mL).

Conclusion

Pre‐EBV DNA could be a useful tool to guide individualized treatment for stage II‐III NPC patients. Additional CCT to IMRT improved the survival for patients with high pre‐EBV DNA, while those with low pre‐EBV DNA could not.

Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant Chemotherapy Plus Concurrent CRT Versus Concurrent CRT Alone in the Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Study Based on EBV DNA

Background: The goal of this study was to explore the value of adding neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) or adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with different risks of treatment failure. Patients and Methods: A total of 2,263 eligible patients with stage III–IVb NPC treated with CCRT ± NACT or ACT were included in this retrospective study. Distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS), overall survival, and progression-free survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences were compared using the log-rank test. Results: Patients in the low-risk group (stage N0–1 disease and Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] DNA <4,000 copies/mL) who received NACT followed by CCRT achieved significantly better 5-year DMFS than those treated with CCRT alone (96.2% vs 91.3%; P= .008). Multivariate analyses also demonstrated that additional NACT was the only independent prognostic factor for DMFS (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22–0.80; P=.009). In both the intermediate-risk group (stage N0–1 disease and EBV DNA ≥4,000 copies/mL and stage N2–3 disease and EBV DNA <4,000 copies/mL) and the high-risk group (stage N2–3 disease and EBV DNA ≥4,000 copies/mL), comparison of NACT or ACT + CCRT versus CCRT alone indicated no significantly better survival for all end points. Conclusions: The addition of NACT to CCRT could reduce distant failure in patients with low risk of treatment failure.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

No nomogram has been established for de novo metastatic NPC patients previously. Thus, we retrospectively involved 502 de novo NPC patients to develop a practical clinical tool by combining prognostic biomarkers to estimate individual risk.

METHODS

The nomogram was based on a primary cohort involving 353 patients from 2007 to 2013; all independent prognostic factors were integrated for inclusion in the model. The predictive accuracy of the model was evaluated by concordance index (C-index). A calibration curve was used to compare predicted and observed survival. We confirmed the results using a validation cohort study on 149 patients enrolled from 2014 to 2016.

RESULTS

Five independent prognostic factors derived from multivariable analysis were entered into the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.724. The calibration curves for probability of 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) showed satisfactory agreement between predicted survival and actual observed survival. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed a significant difference in survival among different risk groups according to the total score. All results were confirmed in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

We established a convenient nomogram that provides individual prediction of OS for patients with de novo metastatic NPC.

The diagnostic and prognostic values of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA for residual cervical lymphadenopathy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: a retrospective study

Background

Currently, the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy following radical radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy are challenging. We investigated the prognosis of NPC patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy and assessed the diagnostic and prognostic values of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in these patients.

Methods

This study included 82 NPC patients who were diagnosed with suspected residual cervical lymphadenopathy following completion of antitumor therapy. Their plasma EBV DNA levels were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) before the initiation of treatment and before neck dissection. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed in 21 patients. All patients had undergone neck dissection and postoperative pathological examination to identify the nature of residual cervical lymphadenopathy. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariable analysis was used to estimate the effect of potential prognostic factors on survival.

Results

Following a median follow-up of 52.6 months, compared with patients with negative postoperative pathological findings for residual cervical lymphadenopathy, the patients with positive findings had a significantly lower 3-year PFS rate (49.9% vs. 83.3%, P = 0.008). Among NPC patients with residual cervical lymphadenopathy, the patients with preoperative plasma EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL had a lower 3-year PFS rate than did those with no detectable EBV DNA (43.7% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.031). In addition, combining FNAC with preoperative EBV DNA detection improved the diagnostic sensitivity. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that residual cervical lymphadenopathy with positive postoperative pathological result was an independent prognostic factor for PFS and that detectable preoperative plasma EBV DNA was an independent prognostic factor for OS.

Conclusions

Using FNAC combined with preoperative EBV DNA detection improves the sensitivity in diagnosing NPC with residual cervical lymphadenopathy. Compared with patients with undetectable EBV DNA, patients with detectable preoperative plasma EBV DNA have worse prognosis and may require a more aggressive treatment strategy.

Patterns of Failure and Survival Trends in 3,808 Patients with Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosed from 1990 to 2012: A Large-Scale Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival trends and patterns of failure in patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy over the last 20 years.

Materials and Methods

Thirty-eight hundred and eight patients diagnosed with stage II NPC between January 1990 and December 2012 were involved in this retrospective cohort study. All patients were treated with RT. According to the main imaging techniques and RT technology, we categorized these patients into four calendar periods: 1990-1996, 1997-2002, 2003-2007, and 2008-2012. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) were served as the clinical outcome.

Results

After a median follow-up period of 84.7 months, we observed increasing trends in survival and disease control. The 3- and 5-year OS rates increased from 87.1% and 78.7% in the first calendar period to 97.4% and 94.5% in the last calendar period, respectively (p<0.001). Additionally, significant increasing trends could be seen in the PFS and LRFS during the four calendar periods. In the subgroup analysis, the LRFS in patients older than 50 years at diagnosis showed greater improvement than younger patients. However, the rate of distant metastasis was stable and relatively low, as the 5-year DMFS ranged from 90.5% to 94.7% among the four calendar periods.

Conclusion

The survival rates in patients with stage II NPC showed increasing trends from 1990 to 2012. The advance of RT provided excellent locoregional control and enhanced OS.

Ten-year outcomes of survival and toxicity for a phase III randomised trial of concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PURPOSE

Our previous results showed survival benefits of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in treating stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) compared with radiotherapy (RT) alone. Here, we present the updated 10-year survival results and late toxicity profile to assess the ultimate effectiveness of concurrent chemotherapy.

METHODS

Patients with stage II NPC were randomly assigned to RT arm (n = 114) or to CCRT arm (n = 116) with a concurrent weekly cisplatin regimen. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 125 months, significant improvements in OS (83.6% vs 65.8%, P = 0.001), progression-free survival (76.7% vs 64.0%, P = 0.014), cancer-specific survival (86.2% vs 71.9%, P = 0.002), distant-metastasis free survival (94.0% vs 83.3%, P = 0.007) were observed in CCRT arm. In point of locoregional-relapse free survival, the impact of CCRT was not remarkable. The findings were in accordance with our previous report. The survival benefits earned by CCRT mainly reflected in T2N1 population. Although CCRT brought more acute toxic effects (P = 0.001), as presented in previous report, the late toxicities and treatment-associated deaths events were comparable between two arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Ten-year outcomes confirmed that CCRT could improve the OS of stage II patients without adding late toxicities compared with conventional RT.

Identifying optimal candidates for local treatment of the primary tumor among patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study based on Epstein-Barr virus DNA level and tumor response to palliative chemotherapy

Background

To evaluate the clinical outcome in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated or not treated with locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) based on plasma Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA level and tumor response after palliative chemotherapy (PCT).

Methods

From 2007 to 2016, 502 patients with de novo metastatic NPC were included in this study. All patients were treated with PCT and 315 patients received LRRT. Our primary study endpoint was overall survival (OS).

Results

EBV DNA was detected in 461 patients (91.8%) before treatment but was undetectable in 249 patients (49.6%) after PCT. Three hundred and seventeen patients (63.1%) achieved satisfactory response (complete response or partial response) to PCT. Both the post-PCT EBV DNA level and tumor response were independent prognostic factors. Among low-risk patients (patients with undetectable EBV DNA and satisfactory tumor response after PCT), the 3-year OS rate was 80.4% in LRRT-treated patients and 45.3% in patients not treated with LRRT (P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that LRRT was an independent prognostic factor of OS in the low-risk patients (P < 0.001). However, among the high-risk patients (patients with detectable EBV DNA and/or unsatisfactory response after PCT), no statistically significant survival differences were observed between the LRRT and non-LRRT groups.

Conclusions

EBV DNA level and tumor response after PCT both correlate with the prognosis of de novo metastatic NPC. In such cases, LRRT may benefit the patients with undetectable EBV DNA levels and satisfactory tumor response after PCT.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5281-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Subdivision of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients with Bone-Only Metastasis at Diagnosis for Prediction of Survival and Treatment Guidance

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to subdivide M1 stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with bone-only metastases for prognosis prediction while identifying the treatment effect of locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) and metastasis radiotherapy (MRT) among patients with different risk.

Materials and Methods

From November 2006 to October 2016, a total of 226 patients with bone-only metastasic NPC were retrospectively enrolled. All patients developed distant lesions before receiving treatment. All potential prognostic factors were considered and the correlation of the M1 subdivisions with overall survival (OS) was determined by Cox regression hazards model. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to appraise survival condition and log-rank testing was used to compare the differences.

Results

The median follow-up time was 33.9 months (range, 3 to 126 months). According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the number of metastatic lesions and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA status after palliative chemotherapy (PCT) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Thus, we subdivided patients into three risk groups according to these two factors. Systemic chemotherapy combined with LRRT may benefit patients in low- and intermediate-risk groups but not in the high-risk group. Further aggressive MRT based on systemic chemotherapy showed no survival benefit in any risk group.

Conclusion

The stratification of NPC patients with bone-only metastasis based on EBV DNA after PCT and the number of metastatic lesions provided promising prognostic value and could aid clinicians in person-specific treatment.

Symptomatic venous thromboembolism associated with peripherally inserted central catheters predicts a worse survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: results of a large cohort, propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Despite increasing use, symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is a common complication in nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

METHODS

A total of 3012 nonmetastatic NPC patients were enrolled in this retrospective study, and we applied Cox regression and log-rank tests to assess the association between PICC-VTE and survival using the propensity score method (PSM) to adjust for gender, age, radiotherapy technique, tumor stage, node stage, UICC clinical stage and pre-treatment EBV DNA.

RESULTS

217 patients developed PICC-VTE, with an incidence of 7.20%. PSM identified 213 patients in the cohort with VTE and 852 in that without. Patients who developed PICC-VTE had a shorter 5-year PFS (77.5% vs 87.6%, p < 0.001), DMFS (85.0% vs 91.2%, p < 0.001), LRRFS (93.9% vs 97.7%, p < 0.001) and OS (85.4% vs 87.6%, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses indicated that no significant survival difference was found between PICC-related superficial venous thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis, nor did different anticoagulant treatment methods.

CONCLUSIONS

PICC-VTE was associated with a worse survival outcome in nonmetastatic NPC patients. A prospective randomized clinical trial is required to verify the results.

Liposomal paclitaxel versus docetaxel in induction chemotherapy using Taxanes, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

We wished to evaluate the efficacy and safety of liposomal paclitaxel and docetaxel for induction chemotherapy (IC) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

A total of 1498 patients with newly-diagnosed NPC between 2009 and 2017 treated with IC plus concurrent chemotherapy were included in our observational study. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and grade-3–4 toxicities were compared between groups using propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

In total, 767 patients were eligible for this study, with 104 (13.6%) and 663 (86.4%) receiving a liposomal paclitaxel-based and docetaxel-based taxanes, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) regimen, respectively. PSM identified 103 patients in the liposomal-paclitaxel group and 287 patients in the docetaxel group. There was no significant difference at 3 years for OS (92.2% vs. 93.9%, P = 0.942), PFS (82.6% vs. 81.7%, P = 0.394), LRFS (94.7% vs. 93.3%, P = 0.981) or DMFS (84.6% vs. 87.4%, P = 0.371) between the two groups after PSM. Significant interactions were not observed between the effect of chemotherapy regimen and sex, age, T stage, N stage, overall stage, or Epstein–Barr virus DNA level in the subgroup multivariate analysis. The prevalence of grade-3–4 leukopenia and neutropenia in the liposomal-paclitaxel group was significantly lower than that of the docetaxel group (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusions

Compared with docetaxel, liposomal paclitaxel has identical anti-tumor efficacy, but causes fewer and milder adverse reactions in IC for NPC.

Famitinib in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation Study

BACKGROUND

Famitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor against multiple targets, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2/3, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and stem cell factor receptor (c-kit). Previous studies have demonstrated anti-tumour activities of famitinib against a wide variety of advanced-stage solid cancers. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of famitinib with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We also evaluated the feasibility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (D-CEUS) as a predictor of early tumour response to famitinib and to correlate functional parameters with clinical efficacy.

METHODS

The trial was conducted in subjects with stage III or IVa-b NPC using a 3 + 3 design of escalating famitinib doses. Briefly, subjects received 2 weeks of famitinib monotherapy followed by 7 weeks of famitinib plus CCRT. D-CEUS of the neck lymph nodes was performed at day 0, 8 and 15 after famitinib was administered before starting concurrent chemoradiotherapy. End points included safety, tolerability and anti-tumour activity.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were enrolled (six each for 12.5, 16.5 and 20 mg and two for 25 mg). Two patients in the 25 mg cohort developed dose-limiting toxicities, including grade 4 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 hypertension. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were leukopenia, neutropenia and radiation mucositis. D-CEUS tests showed that more than 60% of patients achieved a perfusion parameter response after 2 weeks taking famitinib alone, and the parameter response was associated with disease improvement. In the famitinib monotherapy stage, three patients (15%) showed partial responses. The complete response rate was 65% at the completion of treatment and 95% 3 months after the treatment ended. After a median follow-up of 44 months, the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival were 70% and 75%, respectively. Subjects with a decrease of perfusion parameter response, such as peak intensity decreased at least 30% after 1 week of famitinib treatment, had higher 3-year PFS (90.9% vs. 44.4%, 95% CI 73.7%-100% vs. 11.9%-76.9%, P < 0.001) than those with an increase or a reduction of less than 30%.

CONCLUSIONS

The recommended famitinib dose for phase II trial is 20 mg with CCRT for patients with local advanced NPC. D-CEUS is a reliable and early measure of efficacy for famitinib therapies. Further investigation is required to confirm the effects of famitinib plus chemoradiotherapy.

Induction Chemotherapy Plus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Versus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Alone in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Children and Adolescents: A Matched Cohort Analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome and toxicity of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) compared with CCRT alone for the treatment of children and adolescent locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LACANPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 194 locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients youngerthan 21 years who received CCRT with or without IC before were included in the study population. Overall survival (OS) rate, progression-free survival (PFS) rate, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rate, and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rate were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test. Treatment toxicities were clarified and compared between two groups.

RESULTS

One hundred and thiry of 194 patients received IC+CCRT. Patients who were younger and with more advanced TNM stage were more likely to receive IC+CCRT and intensive modulated radiotherapy. The addition of IC before CCRT failed to improve survival significantly. The matched analysis identified 43 well-balanced patients in both two groups. With a median follow-up of 51.5 months, no differences were found between the IC+CCRT group and the CCRT group in 5-year OS (83.7% vs. 74.6%, p=0.153), PFS (79.2% vs. 73.4%, p=0.355), LRFS (97.7% vs. 88.2%, p=0.083), and DMFS (81.6% vs. 81.6%, p=0.860). N3 was an independent prognostic factor predicting poorer OS, PFS, and DMFS. The addition of IC was associated with increased rates of grade 3 to 4 neutropenia.

CONCLUSION

This study failed to demonstrate that adding IC before CCRT could provide a significant additional survival benefit for LACANPC patients. Further investigations are warranted.

The prognosis of neck residue nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients: results from a case-cohort study

Background: To assess the prognosis of neck residue nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and the efficacy of neck dissection in the treatment of these patients.

Methods: We recruited 68 neck residue NPC patients. For each neck residue patient we had three matched NPC patients without neck residue as controls (n = 204). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and multivariable analysis was used to test the independent statistical significance of NPC patients.

Results: Compared to controls, the neck residue patients showed significantly lower 3-year PFS (46.7% vs. 87.6%; P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that neck residue was an independent prognostic factor for PFS.

Conclusions: NPC patients who had pathologically proven neck residue are associated with poor prognosis. Management with neck dissection alone seems not to be sufficient for these patients.

The incidence and predictors of symptomatic venous thromboembolism associated with peripherally inserted central catheters in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

Despite wide usage, peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of NPC patients with PICC insertions from February 2, 2007 to December 25, 2014 in Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the correlations between risk factors and symptomatic PICC-VTE.

Results

Of the 1,363 NPC patients, 76 developed symptomatic VTE. In univariable analysis, body mass index (BMI), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, metastasis stage (M stage), and VTE history were associated with symptomatic PICC-VTE. Following multivariable adjustments, BMI (OR 0.900, p=0.007), ECOG score (OR 4.162, p=0.011), M stage (OR 2.717, p=0.019), and VTE history (OR 109.772, p<0.001) were still statistically significant.

Conclusion

PICC-VTE is a common complication in NPC patients, with an incidence of 5.6% in our analysis. Those with VTE history and lower BMI and worse ECOG performance score metastatic NPC patients are more susceptible to symptomatic PICC-related thrombosis and thus may require prophylactic anticoagulation.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with nedaplatin versus cisplatin in stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an open-label, non-inferiority, randomised phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is currently considered to be the standard treatment regimen for patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but has well known side-effects such as gastrointestinal reactions, nephrotoxicity, and ototoxicity. Nedaplatin was developed to decrease the toxic effects induced by cisplatin, and in this trial we assessed whether a nedaplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimen was non-inferior to a cisplatin-based regimen in patients with locoregional, stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

We did an open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3, randomised, controlled trial at two centres in China. Patients aged 18-65 years with non-keratinising stage II-IVB (T1-4N1-3 or T3-4N0) nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a Karnofsky score of at least 70, and adequate haematological, renal, and hepatic function were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenously either nedaplatin 100 mg/m² or cisplatin 100 mg/m² on days 1, 22, and 43 for three cycles concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Randomisation was done manually using a computer-generated random number code and patients were stratified by treatment centre and clinical stage. Patients and clinicians were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 2 years; non-inferiority was shown if the upper limit of the 95% CI for the difference in 2-year progression-free survival between the two groups did not exceed 10%. Analyses were by both intention to treat and per protocol, including all patients who received at least one complete cycle of chemotherapy. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01540136, and is currently in follow-up.

FINDINGS

Between Jan 16, 2012, and July 16, 2014, we randomly assigned 402 patients to nedaplatin-based (n=201) or cisplatin-based (n=201) concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In the intention-to-treat population, 2-year progression-free survival was 89·9% (95% CI 85·8-94·0) in the cisplatin group and 88·0% (83·5-94·5) in the nedaplatin group, with a difference of 1·9% (95% CI -4·2 to 8·0; p_{non-inferiority}=0·0048). In the per-protocol analysis (cisplatin group, n=197; nedaplatin group, n=196), 2-year progression-free survival was 89·7% (95% CI 85·4-94·0) in the cisplatin group and 88·7% (84·2-94·5) in the nedaplatin group, with a difference of 1·0% (95% CI -5·2 to 7·0; p_{non-inferiority}=0·0020). A significantly higher frequency of grade 3 or 4 vomiting (35 [18%] of 198 in the cisplatin group vs 12 [6%] of 200 in the nedaplatin group, p<0·0001), nausea (18 [9%] vs four [2%], p=0·0021), and anorexia (53 [27%] vs 26 [13%], p=0·00070) was observed in the cisplatin group compared with the nedaplatin group. 11 (6%) patients in the nedaplatin group had grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia compared with four (2%) in the cisplatin group (p=0·065). Patients in the cisplatin group had a higher frequency of any grade or grade 3 or 4 late auditory or hearing toxicities than did patients in the nedaplatin group (grade 3 or 4: three [2%] in the nedaplatin group vs 11 [6%] in the cisplatin group, p=0·030). No patients died from treatment-related causes.

INTERPRETATION

Our findings show that nedaplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy represents an alternative doublet treatment strategy to cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locoregional, advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Further investigations are needed to explore the potential use of this treatment as induction or adjuvant chemotherapy or in combination with other agents.

FUNDING

National Key R&D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program, Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangzhou City, National Key Basic Research Program of China, Special Support Plan of Guangdong Province, Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangdong Province, Health & Medical Collaborative Innovation Project of Guangzhou City, National Science & Technology Pillar Program during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period, PhD Start-up Fund of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Cultivation Foundation for the Junior Teachers in Sun Yat-sen University, and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.