Outcomes of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Purpose: Current standard therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is concurrent chemoradiation based on randomized data. However, limited randomized data exist to support the addition of induction chemotherapy (ICT).

Methods: 58 Patients with NPC were treated from 1990 to 2010. All patients received platinum-based ICT. All 58 patients were treated with chemoradiation, 57 in a week-on/week-off (WOWO) fashion. Concurrent chemotherapy included hydroxyurea/5-fluorouracil for all patients. Median radiation dose was 70 Gy. No patient received adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results: AJCC 2009 stage was II=13, III=21, IVa=13, and IVb=11. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 66 months. Response to ICT was complete response (CR) 17% and partial response (PR) 64%. The CR rate after chemoradiation was 96%. Five-year actuarial freedom from local failure (FFLF), freedom from distant failure (FFDF), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) was 98%, 90%, 90%, and 76%, respectively. Analysis of pediatric patients (n=9) demonstrated 5-year actuarial FFLF, FFDF, CSS, and OS of 100%, 88%, 80%, and 80%, respectively.

Conclusions: ICT followed by concurrent chemoradiation demonstrates excellent FFLF, FFDF, CSS, and OS with tolerable toxicity. Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation for patients with NPC should be explored further in a randomized setting.