BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The incidence of distant metastasis is high in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). It is the most important cause of death for NPC patients. This study was to investigate prognostic factors of NPC patients with distant metastasis. METHODS: A total of 128 NPC patients with distant metastasis were treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan. 1997 to Jun. 2003. Of the 128 patients, 112 were men and 16 were women, with a median age of 48 (range, 15-70); 54 received chemoradiotherapy, 48 received chemotherapy alone, 14 received radiotherapy alone, and 12 received no treatment. The survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. COX multivariate prognosis analysis was performed. RESULTS: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the 128 patients were 60.9%, 34.4%, and 14.1%, respectively. The median survival time was 15.6 months (range, 0.8-96.6 months). Univariate analysis showed that age (P=0.038), treatment modality (P=0.041), chemotherapy cycles (P=0.034), and short-term treatment response (P=0.007) were prognostic factors of NPC with distant metastasis. Multivariate analysis showed that sex (P=0.013), chemotherapy cycles (P=0.032), N stage (P=0.011), and short-term treatment response (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Sex, chemotherapy cycles, and short-term treatment response are independent prognostic factors of NPC with distant metastasis.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The incidence of distant metastasis is high in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). It is the most important cause of death for NPCpatients. This study was to investigate prognostic factors of NPCpatients with distant metastasis. METHODS: A total of 128 NPCpatients with distant metastasis were treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan. 1997 to Jun. 2003. Of the 128 patients, 112 were men and 16 were women, with a median age of 48 (range, 15-70); 54 received chemoradiotherapy, 48 received chemotherapy alone, 14 received radiotherapy alone, and 12 received no treatment. The survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. COX multivariate prognosis analysis was performed. RESULTS: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the 128 patients were 60.9%, 34.4%, and 14.1%, respectively. The median survival time was 15.6 months (range, 0.8-96.6 months). Univariate analysis showed that age (P=0.038), treatment modality (P=0.041), chemotherapy cycles (P=0.034), and short-term treatment response (P=0.007) were prognostic factors of NPC with distant metastasis. Multivariate analysis showed that sex (P=0.013), chemotherapy cycles (P=0.032), N stage (P=0.011), and short-term treatment response (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Sex, chemotherapy cycles, and short-term treatment response are independent prognostic factors of NPC with distant metastasis.