Open AccessAnti‐epidermal growth factor receptor therapy concurrently with induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Peng Hao,
Tang LingLong,
Liu Xu,
Chen Lei,
Li WenFei,
Mao YanPing,
Zhang Yuan,
Liu LiZhi,
Tian Li,
Guo Ying,
Sun Ying,
Ma Jun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.13589
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , mucositis , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , oncology , confidence interval , gastroenterology , chemotherapy , induction chemotherapy , propensity score matching , epidermal growth factor receptor , radiation therapy , cancer
Little is known about the efficacy and toxicity of anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor therapy concurrently with induction chemotherapy (IC) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA‐NPC). The present study aimed to address this question. We identified 2848 patients with newly diagnosed LA‐NPC receiving IC between January 2012 and May 2015. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to balance various factors and to match patients. Survival outcomes and toxicities between different groups were compared. In total, 596 patients were selected at a 1:3 ratio, with 149 in the IC + CTX/NTZ group and 447 in the IC alone group. The 3‐year disease‐free survival, overall survival, distant metastasis‐free survival and locoregional relapse‐free survival rates for IC + CTX/NTZ vs IC alone were 84.3% vs 75.2% ( P = .059), 94.0% vs 87.9% ( P = .053), 88.0% vs 84.9% ( P = .412) and 93.3% vs 88.2% ( P = .242). Multivariate analysis established a treatment group (IC vs IC + CTX/NTZ) as a prognostic predictor for DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.497; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.016‐2.206; P = .041) and OS (HR, 1.984; 95%, CI, 1.023‐3.848; P = .043). Grade 3‐4 skin reaction (15.4% vs 0.4%, P < .001) and mucositis (10.1% vs 2.7%, P < .001) were more common in the IC + CTX/NTZ group than that in the IC alone group. Our findings suggested that CTX/NTZ in combination with IC may be a more effective and promising strategy for patients with LA‐NPC treated with intensity‐modulated radiotherapy.