Abstract:
Objective This study was aimed to make a comparison between induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and simple concomitant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma(LA-NPC). It also aims to investigate prognostic factors.
Methods Between January 2005 and December 2006, clinical data of 433 cases of non-metastatic LA-NPC undergoing initial treatment were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into Group A(209 cases) and Group B(224 cases). Group A underwent induction chemotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, whereas Group B underwent concomitant chemoradiotherapy alone. Kaplan-Meier method was employed for survival analysis. Log-rank test was used to analyze the statistical significance in the differences among the survival curves. A multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards model was used to test the independent prognostic factors.
Results This study showed that the three-year overall survival(OS) rates were 87% and 88%, with the locoregional failure-free survival(LR-FFS) rates of 95% and 95%, distant failure-free survival(D-FFS) rates of 85% and 85%, and failure-free survival(FFS) rates of 81% vs. 81% in Groups A and B, respectively. The five-year OS rates were 80% and 82%(P=0.503), with LR-FFS rates of 95% vs. 93%(P=0.673), D-FFS rates of 82% vs. 82%(P=0.992), and FFS rates of 78% vs. 77%(P=0.851) in Groups A and B, respectively. Median follow-up was 61.1 months(ranging from 12.0 months to 75.7 months). No statistical differences were observed in the survivals between the two groups. However, improved FFS rate was observed for stage Ⅲ disease, which favors Group A(P=0.075). Multivariate analysis also showed that old age, advanced clinical stage, cranial nerve involvement, decreased hemoglobin, and advanced N stage were the independent adverse prognostic factors for both OS and D-FFS.
Conclusion Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy did not improve OS, LR-FFS, D-FFS, or FFS for LA-NPC, compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone. However, induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy showed a trend of improved FFS for stage Ⅲ disease favoring Group A. Thus, neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with concomitant chemoradiotherapy is not the necessary choice in managing LA-NPC.