The Clinical Outcomes and Toxicities of Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Plus Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

• Main Authors: Rui Zou, Jing-Jing Yuan, Qiang Li, Jian-Wu Ding, Bing Liao, Zi-Wei Tu, Rong-Huan Hu, Dan Gong, Jia-Li Hu, Lei Zeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-02-01
• Series: Frontiers in Oncology
• Subjects: induction chemotherapy; concurrent chemotherapy; adjuvant chemotherapy; intensity-modulated radiotherapy; nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.619625/full

PurposeTo analyze the outcomes and toxicities of induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) plus adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC).MethodsRetrospective analysis of 163 patients with LA-NPC referred from August 2015 to December 2018 was carried out. All patients underwent platinum-based ICT followed by CCRT plus ACT.ResultsThe median follow-up time was 40 months, ranging from 5 to 69 months. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 80.8, 90.0, 91.6, and 87.4%, respectively. The most frequent acute grade 3/4 adverse events were leukopenia (66.8%), neutropenia (55.8%), mucositis (41.1%), thrombocytopenia (27.0%), and anemia (14.7%).ConclusionICT followed by CCRT plus ACT did not seemingly enhance DFS and OS in LA-NPC patients compared to the addition of ICT to CCRT (historical controls). In contrast, ICT followed by CCRT plus ACT had more acute adverse events than ICT followed by CCRT. Longer-term clinical studies are required to examine the treatment outcomes and late toxicities.