Is Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Induction Chemotherapy Superior in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Between June 2005 and October 2007, 604 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC were analyzed, of whom 399 and 205 were treated with conventional radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) respectively. Meanwhile, 153 patients received concurrent chemotherapy, and 520 were given induction chemotherapy. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 65 months, the 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS), locoregional free survival (LRFS), and distant-metastasis free survival (DMFS) rates were 82.5% vs. 72.6%, 90.6% vs. 87.1%, and 82.5% vs. 81.2%, respectively. Induction chemotherapy was not an independent prognostic factor for OS (P=0.193) or LRFS, but there was a positive tendency for DMFS (P=0.088). GP regimen (gemcitabine + cisplatin) was an independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.038) and it had a trend toward improved DMFS (P = 0.109). TP regimen (taxol + cisplatin) was only a significant prognostic factor for DMFS (P =0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Adding induction chemotherapy had no survival benefit, but GP regimen benefited overall survival and had a trend toward improved DMFS. GP regimen may be superior to TP/FP regimen (fluorouracil + cisplatin) in treating locoregionally advanced NPC.