Propensity-matched analysis of three different chemotherapy sequences in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated using intensity-modulated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND: To compare the survival outcomes and acute toxicities of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), induction chemotherapy (IC) plus radiotherapy (RT), and IC plus CCRT in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). METHODS: Patients with stage III–IVB NPC who were treated with IMRT between 2009 and 2012 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The induction regimens included PF (cisplatin and fluorouracil) and TP (docetaxel and cisplatin) every 3 weeks for 2–3 cycles; the concurrent regimen was cisplatin every three weeks for 2–3 cycles. A propensity score matching method was used to match patients from each group in a 1:1:1 ratio. RESULTS: In total, 147 eligible patients were propensity-matched, with 49 patients in each treatment group. The median follow-up duration was 38.5 months (range, 4.5 – 56 months). The 3-year disease-free survival, overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and locoregional relapse-free survival rates were 82.1 %, 92.8 %, 87 %, and 90.4 % in the CCRT group; 86.3 %, 91.0 %, 91.6 %, and 94.4 % in the IC plus RT group; and 87.8 %, 95.8 %, 93.8 %, and 93.9 % in the IC plus CCRT group, respectively. No statistically significant survival differences were observed between the three treatment groups in either univariate or multivariate analyses. The incidence of grade 3–4 acute toxicities was similar among groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that CCRT, IC plus RT, and IC plus CCRT are similarly efficacious treatment strategies for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC treated using IMRT; however, long-term, large-scale randomized trials are required to confirm these findings.