Radiotherapy alone versus concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with negative Epstein-Barr virus DNA post-induction chemotherapy.

Authors

null

Fang-Fang Kong

Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Fang-Fang Kong , Guang-Sen Pan , Cheng-Run Du , Zhen Zhang , Chaosu Hu , Hong-Mei Ying

Organizations

Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Induction chemotherapy (IC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy has been recommended as the standard treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma(LA-NPC). However, concurrent chemotherapy was associated with increased toxicities, poor tolerance, and low completion rates. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of IC+ radiotherapy (RT) and IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) in patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA. Methods: A total of 547 NPC patients with negative plasma EBV DNA post-IC were included. Patients were classified into the IC+RT group and the IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) group. Locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the variables. Results: The median follow-up time was 37 months. The 3-year LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS rates for the whole group were 92.2%, 92.4%, 96.4%, and 84.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS between the IC+RT and the IC+CCRT/AC group both before PSM (3-year rates of 91.1% vs. 92.6%, p = 0.94; 95.6% vs. 91.5%, p = 0.08; 95.2% vs. 96.8%, p = 0.80; 85.9% vs. 84.0%, p = 0.38) and after PSM (90.7% vs. 92.7%, p = 0.77; 96.8% vs. 93.7%, p = 0.29; 94.5% vs. 93.9%, p = 0.57; 84.7% vs. 85.6%, p = 0.96). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that treatment schedule was not an independent predictor for survival rates. Patients in the IC+RT group had fewer treatment-related acute toxicities and better tolerance. Conclusions: IC+RT displayed similar survival outcomes as IC+CCRT/AC for NPC patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA. Our current data seems not to support the routine use of concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy after IC for unselected patients.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Head and Neck Cancer

Track

Head and Neck Cancer

Sub Track

Local-Regional Disease

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 16; abstr 6064)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.6064

Abstract #

6064

Poster Bd #

56

Abstract Disclosures