Concurrent Chemotherapy for the Intermediate Risk Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Era

Summary

Currently, concurrent chemoradiotherapy with/without sequential chemotherapy is the standard treatment modality for intermediate risk NPC (stage II and T3N0M0) according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline. However these recommendations were based on the evidence in the two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy (2DCRT) era. The introduction of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in NPC treatment has brought substantial better treatment outcomes than 2DCRT. It has been questioned whether additional concurrent chemotherapy is still necessary for intermediate risk NPC within the excellent framework of IMRT. Thus, the investigators jointly conduct the first non-inferior randomized trial to determine the value of concurrent chemotherapy with cisplatin for intermediate risk NPC patients treated with IMRT. Given the results of clinical studies mentioned above,the investigators decide to adopt the concurrent regimen to be cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on day 1, 22, 43

Timeline

Start

2015-11

Primary completion

2020-08-04

Completion

2021-10-11

Publications

• Background Chua DT, Sham JS, Kwong DL, Au GK. Treatment outcome after radiotherapy alone for patients with Stage I-II nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer. 2003 Jul 1;98(1):74-80. doi: 10.1002/cncr.11485.
• Background Xiao WW, Han F, Lu TX, Chen CY, Huang Y, Zhao C. Treatment outcomes after radiotherapy alone for patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Jul 15;74(4):1070-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.09.008. Epub 2009 Feb 21.
• Background Chen QY, Wen YF, Guo L, Liu H, Huang PY, Mo HY, Li NW, Xiang YQ, Luo DH, Qiu F, Sun R, Deng MQ, Chen MY, Hua YJ, Guo X, Cao KJ, Hong MH, Qian CN, Mai HQ. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs radiotherapy alone in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma: phase III randomized trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011 Dec 7;103(23):1761-70. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djr432. Epub 2011 Nov 4.
• Background Song CH, Wu HG, Heo DS, Kim KH, Sung MW, Park CI. Treatment outcomes for radiotherapy alone are comparable with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Laryngoscope. 2008 Apr;118(4):663-70. doi: 10.1097/MLG.0b013e3181626cfe.
• Background Chua DT, Ma J, Sham JS, Mai HQ, Choy DT, Hong MH, Lu TX, Au GK, Min HQ. Improvement of survival after addition of induction chemotherapy to radiotherapy in patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Subgroup analysis of two Phase III trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2006 Aug 1;65(5):1300-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.02.016. Epub 2006 Jun 5.
• Background Xu T, Hu C, Wang X, Shen C. Role of chemoradiotherapy in intermediate prognosis nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Oral Oncol. 2011 May;47(5):408-13. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2011.03.008. Epub 2011 Apr 2.
• Background Lai SZ, Li WF, Chen L, Luo W, Chen YY, Liu LZ, Sun Y, Lin AH, Liu MZ, Ma J. How does intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy influence the treatment results in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients? Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Jul 1;80(3):661-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.03.024. Epub 2010 Jul 17.
• Background Peng G, Wang T, Yang KY, Zhang S, Zhang T, Li Q, Han J, Wu G. A prospective, randomized study comparing outcomes and toxicities of intensity-modulated radiotherapy vs. conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Radiother Oncol. 2012 Sep;104(3):286-93. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2012.08.013. Epub 2012 Sep 17.
• Background Lee AW, Ng WT, Chan LL, Hung WM, Chan CC, Sze HC, Chan OS, Chang AT, Yeung RM. Evolution of treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer--success and setback in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era. Radiother Oncol. 2014 Mar;110(3):377-84. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2014.02.003. Epub 2014 Mar 11.
• Background Su SF, Han F, Zhao C, Chen CY, Xiao WW, Li JX, Lu TX. Long-term outcomes of early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy alone. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Jan 1;82(1):327-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.09.011. Epub 2010 Oct 29.
• Background Tham IW, Lin S, Pan J, Han L, Lu JJ, Wee J. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy without concurrent chemotherapy for stage IIb nasopharyngeal cancer. Am J Clin Oncol. 2010 Jun;33(3):294-9. doi: 10.1097/COC.0b013e3181d2edab.
• Background Luo S, Zhao L, Wang J, Xu M, Li J, Zhou B, Xiao F, Long X, Shi M. Clinical outcomes for early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma with predominantly WHO II histology treated by intensity-modulated radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in nonendemic region of China. Head Neck. 2014 Jun;36(6):841-7. doi: 10.1002/hed.23386. Epub 2013 Oct 4.
• Background Zhang F, Zhang Y, Li WF, Liu X, Guo R, Sun Y, Lin AH, Chen L, Ma J. Efficacy of Concurrent Chemotherapy for Intermediate Risk NPC in the Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Era: a Propensity-Matched Analysis. Sci Rep. 2015 Nov 27;5:17378. doi: 10.1038/srep17378.
• Tang LL, Guo R, Zhang N, Deng B, Chen L, Cheng ZB, Huang J, Hu WH, Huang SH, Luo WJ, Liang JH, Zheng YM, Zhang F, Mao YP, Li WF, Zhou GQ, Liu X, Chen YP, Xu C, Lin L, Liu Q, Du XJ, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Ma J. Effect of Radiotherapy Alone vs Radiotherapy With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy on Survival Without Disease Relapse in Patients With Low-risk Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2022 Aug 23;328(8):728-736. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.13997.

Drugs

Indications