Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with nedaplatin plus paclitaxel or fluorouracil for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Survival and toxicity.

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the survival and toxicity in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent nedaplatin plus paclitaxel or fluorouracil (NP or NF).

Methods: A total of 155 patients with locoregionally advanced NPC seen at our institution between January 2008 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-nine cases (51%) were treated with IMRT and concurrent NP chemotherapy, and 76 cases (49%) were treated with IMRT and concurrent NF regimen. Survival and toxicity were reported.

Results: The 3-year locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 90.3% and 87.8%, 79.7% and 81.1%, 77.3% and 71.1%, and 81.6% and 83.7% for the NF and NP group, respectively. The results were comparable to that of the cisplatin-based regimens. Acute and late toxicities were acceptable.

Conclusions: IMRT with concurrent nedaplatin-based chemotherapy achieved comparable survival with acceptable toxicity to those of the cisplatin-based regimens in the treatment of locoregionally advanced NPC.