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. 2018 Dec;7(12):6010-6019.
doi: 10.1002/cam4.1866. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Local regression and control of T1-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy

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Local regression and control of T1-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Fen Xue et al. Cancer Med. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To observe the local regression and control in T1-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and to analyze the related influencing factors.

Methods: Between January 2006 and June 2014, 247 consecutive T1-2 NPC patients treated with IMRT were retrospectively analyzed, with 126 (51.0%) N0-1 disease and 121 (49.0%) N2-3 disease. Among them, 72.9% received platinum-based chemotherapy. The prescribed dose to gross tumor volume was 66 Gy/30 fractions.

Results: By the end of IMRT, the chemoradiotherapy (CRT) group had higher local complete response (CR) rate compared with IMRT alone group (92.2% vs 74.6%, P < 0.001), but no significant difference was discovered in 5-year local control (LC) rate (95.1% vs 94.9%, P = 0.968). Of the rest 31 patients with residual nasopharyngeal lesions after IMRT, those received boost irradiation (67.7%) also showed no improvement in 5-year LC rate compared with the observational group (95.0% vs 100.0%, P = 0.307). With a median follow-up of 63 months, the estimated 5-year LC rate for the whole group was 95.1% (T1 vs T2: 95.9% vs 94.7%, P = 0.186). Prognostic factors for LC were found neither in univariate nor in multivariate analysis. Advanced N stage was found to be the only adverse prognostic factor for all the other survivals.

Conclusions: Excellent LC could be achieved in T1-2 NPC treated with IMRT. The addition of chemotherapy may offer short-term response benefit, but no significant LC benefit, so did boost irradiation. Attention should be attached to advanced N stage, the exploration of the recurrence-related factors, and the necessities of the additional treatment.

Keywords: T1-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma; boost irradiation; chemotherapy; local control.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The estimated 5‐year local control (A), overall survival (B), distance metastasis‐free survival (C), and progression‐free survival (D) rates between patients with T1 and T2 stage, respectively
Figure 2
Figure 2
The estimated 5‐year local control (A), overall survival (B), distance metastasis‐free survival (C), and progression‐free survival (D) rates between patients with N0‐1 and N2‐3 stage, respectively

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