Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Benasso M, Sanguineti G, D'Amico M, Corvò R, Ricci I, Numico G, Guarneri D, Vitale V, Pallestrini E, Santelli A, Rosso R
Primary Institution: Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova
Hypothesis
Can adding effective chemotherapy to concomitant chemo-radiotherapy improve results in stage IV undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
Conclusion
Induction chemotherapy followed by alternating chemo-radiotherapy is feasible and shows promising activity in treating locally advanced undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Supporting Evidence
- All patients were evaluable for toxicity and response.
- At the end of the induction phase, 10% of patients achieved complete responses.
- At a median follow-up of 31 months, 13.3% of patients had loco-regional progression.
Takeaway
Doctors tried a new way to treat a type of throat cancer by using both chemotherapy and radiation together, and it worked pretty well.
Methodology
Patients received induction chemotherapy followed by alternating courses of chemotherapy and radiation.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was not a phase III trial.
Participant Demographics
30 patients with untreated T4 and/or N2–3 undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website