Metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A phase 3, multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

Authors

null

Jun Ma

Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China

Jun Ma , Yu-Pei Chen , Ying Sun , Qin Zhou , Kun-Yu Yang , Feng Jin , Xiao-Dong Zhu , Mei Shi , Guoqing Hu , Yan Sun , Hong-Fen Wu , Hui Wu , Qin Lin , Hui Wang , Ye Tian , Ning Zhang , Xicheng Wang , Liangfang Shen , Fangyun Xie , Xu Liu

Organizations

Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China, Central South University, Hunan, China, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, China, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China, Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, China, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, Beijing Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Jilin, China, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, Xiamen Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, the affiliate Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China, The First Affiliated Hospital/School of Clinical Medicine Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China

Research Funding

Other
Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program, Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company

Background: Patients suffering from locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) commonly develop disease recurrence, despite a high rate of complete clinical remission after standard of care (concurrent cisplatin-radiotherapy, with or without induction chemotherapy). The benefit of additional adjuvant chemotherapy remains unclear. Methods: Patients with high-risk locoregionally advanced NPC (stage III to IVA, excluding T3-4N0 and T3N1), and with no locoregional disease or distant metastasis after definitive chemoradiotherapy, were eligible. They were randomly assigned (1:1) within 12 to 16 weeks after the last radiation dose to receive either capecitabine at a dose of 650 mg/m2 twice daily for 1 year (metronomic capecitabine group) or observation (standard-therapy group). The primary end point was recurrence-free survival (RFS). The calculated sample size was 201 per group, with an 80% power (two-sided α 0.05) to detect a target hazard ratio (HR) of 0.52. Results: A total of 406 patients underwent randomization, comprising 204 in the metronomic capecitabine group and 202 in the standard-therapy group. After a median follow-up of 36 months (corresponding to 43 months when calculated from the start of standard therapy), the estimated 3-year RFS was 85.9% in the metronomic capecitabine group, as compared with 76.5% in the standard-therapy group (intention-to-treat population; HR 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.32–0.81; P = 0.003). The incidence of grade 3 adverse events was 17.4% in the metronomic capecitabine group and 5.5% in the standard-therapy group; hand-foot syndrome was the most common adverse event related to capecitabine (9.0%). One grade 4 neutropenia occurred in the metronomic capecitabine group. Neither group sufferd from treatment-related deaths. During treatment, there was no clinically meaningful deterioration of health-related quality of life associated with the use of metronomic adjuvant capecitabine. Conclusions: The addition of metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy to chemoradiotherapy significantly improved RFS in locoregionally advanced NPC, with a manageable safety profile and no compromise to quality of life. Clinical trial information: NCT02958111

Intention-to-treat population
Metronomic capecitabine (%)
Standard therapy (%)
P value
n = 204
n = 202
3-yr recurrence-free survival85.976.50.003
3-yr overall survival93.689.60.03
3-yr distant recurrence-free survival90.582.10.008
3-yr locoregional recurrence-free survival92.688.20.05
Safety populationn = 201n = 200
Completed the 1-year treatment period74.1--
Any grade 3 adverse events17.45.5
Any grade 4 adverse events0.50

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2021 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Oral Abstract Session

Session Title

Head and Neck Cancer

Track

Head and Neck Cancer

Sub Track

Local-Regional Disease

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT02958111

Citation

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 6003)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.6003

Abstract #

6003

Abstract Disclosures