Neoadjuvant and Concurrent Chemotherapy Have Varied Impacts on the Prognosis of Patients with the Ascending and Descending Types of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of patients with ascending type (T4&N0-1) and descending type (T1-2&N3) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) + intensity-modulated radiotherapy (RT) or NACT + CCRT. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 839 patients with ascending or descending types of NPC treated at a single institution between October 2009 to February 2012. CCRT was delivered to 236 patients, NACT + RT to 302 patients, and NACT + CCRT to 301 patients. RESULTS: The 4-year overall survival rate, distant metastasis-free survival rate, local relapse-free survival rate, nodal relapse-free survival rate, loco-regional relapse-free survival rate, and progression free survival rate were 75.2% and 73.4% (P = 0.114), 85.7% and 74.1% (P = 0.008), 88.8% and 97.1% (P = 0.013), 96.9% and 94.1% (P = 0.122), 86.9% and 91.2% (P = 0.384), 73.7% and 66.2% (P = 0.063) in ascending type and descending type. Subgroup analyses indicated that NACT + RT significantly improved distant metastasis-free survival rate and progression-free survival rate when compared with CCRT in the ascending type, and there were no significant differences between the survival curves of NACT +RT and NACT + CCRT. For descending type, there were no significant differences among the survival curves of NACT +RT, CCRT, and NACT + CCRT groups, and the survival benefit mainly came from CCRT. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with NACT + CCRT or CCRT, NACT + RT may be a reasonable approach for ascending type. Although concurrent chemotherapy was effective in descending type, NACT + CCRT may be a more appropriate strategy for descending type.