PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Yan-ping CHEN
AU  - Yun-cong LIU
TI  - Clinical Observation of Concurrent Radio-Chemotherapy Combined with Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Treating Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
AID  - 10.1007/s11805-010-0039-5
DP  - 2010 Feb 01
TA  - Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
PG  - 39--43
VI  - 7
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/7/1/39.short
4100  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/7/1/39.full
SO  - Cancer Biol Med2010 Feb 01; 7
AB  - OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy and side effects of concurrent radiochemotherapy using the TP regimen (paclitaxel and cisplatin) combined with adjuvant treatment in treating patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).METHODS A total of 82 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of locoregionally advanced stage-III and IVa NPC were randomly divided into 2 groups: the treatment group (TG) with concurrent radiochemotherapy combined with adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 44) and the control group (CG) with simple radiotherapy (RT) (n = 38). A total dose of 68 - 74 Gy of conformal radiation (X-ray, 4 MV or 8 MV) was given to patients in both groups. In the TG, a regimen of paxlitaxel and cisplatin was given via intravenous infusion in the 1st and 6th week concurrently with RT. After a 2-week intermission following RT, these patients received 2 cycles of the same chemotherapeutic regimen triweekly.RESULTS The effective rates of the treatment were, respectively, 71.1% and 76.3% in the CG, and 88.6% and 95.5% in the TG, at the end of treatment and 3 months thereaft er. The differences in the therapeutic efficacy between the 2 groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 81.1% and 73%, and 95.2% and 90.5%, respectively in the CG and the TG, and the differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The grade I-II reactions in the gastrointestinal tract, skin and oral mucosa were higher in patients receiving concurrent radiochemotherapy combined with adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients receiving simple radiotherapy (P < 0.05). The differences in the occurrence of grade III-IV side effects including gastrointestinal, dermal and oral mucosal discomfort, other side effects, and late radioactive damage between the 2 groups were not statistically significant.CONCLUSION Concurrent radiochemotherapy combined with adjuvant chemotherapy in treating patients with locoregionally advanced NPC can further improve short-term therapeutic effects and the overall survival. However, there is an increased trend in toxicity secondary to treatment.