Comparative effectiveness of simultaneous integrated boost vs sequential intensity-modulated radiotherapy for oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer patients: A population-based propensity score-matched analysis

There were 2 common radiotherapy dose fractionation strategies in head-and-neck cancer patients (such as oropharyngeal cancer [OPC] or hypopharyngeal cancer [HPC]) treated with radiotherapy: intensity-modulated radiotherapy using simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) and sequential IMRT (IMRT-SEQ). There is a lack of high-level clinical evidence to compare IMRT-SIB vs IMRT-SEQ specifically for OPC or HPC patients. The present study investigated the survival outcomes of OPC or HPC patients receiving definite concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with either IMRT-SIB or IMRT-SEQ via a population-based propensity score (PS)-based analysis. The localized stage OPC or HPC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 were identified based on the Health and Welfare Data Science Center database in Taiwan. These patients received definitive CCRT with either IMRT-SIB or IMRT-SEQ. We constructed a PS-matched cohort (1:1 for IMRT-SIB vs IMRT-SEQ) to balance observable potential confounders. We compared the hazard ratio (HR) of death between IMRT-SIB and IMRT-SEQ during the entire follow-up period. We also evaluated other disease outcome or subgroups. Our study population constituted 200 patients with well balance in observed covariables. The HR of death when IMRT-SIB was compared to IMRT-SEQ was 1.23 (95% confidence interval 0.84–1.80, P = .29). The results were similar for other disease outcome or subgroups. We found the survival outcome might be comparable for those treated with IMRT-SIB vs those treated with IMRT-SEQ.