Prognostic implications of dynamic serum lactate dehydrogenase assessments in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy

The prognostic value of dynamic serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) hasn’t been explored. We retrospectively analyzed 1,428 cases of NPC treated with IMRT with or without chemotherapy. Elevated pre- and/or post-treatment LDH levels were found to be associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), but not with local relapse-free survival (LRFS). The dynamic variations in LDH levels were prognostic factors for OS, DFS and DMFS, but not for LRFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that the N category, T category, post-treatment serum LDH level and age were independent prognostic factors for OS. Our results demonstrated that dynamic variations in LDH levels were associated with risk of distant failure and death, which may shed light on the dynamics of the disease and the response to therapy. We consider that LDH measurements will be of great clinical importance in the management of NPC, especially, when considering “decision points” in treatment algorithms. Therefore, we strongly recommend that LDH levels should be determined before and after treatment in NPC patients and the results integrated into decisions regarding treatment strategies.