Improved results in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

A total of 77 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed for the effectiveness of combining chemotherapy (CT) with radical radiotherapy (RT). From 1972 to 1976, 26 patients were treated with a relatively short course of radical RT alone: 52-55 Gy/16 Fx/4 wk (study 1). From 1977 to 1982, 29 patients were also treated with radical RT alone, but with a more prolonged fractionation schedule: 65-70 Gy/26-28 Fx/6.5-7 wk (study 2). In 1983, the policy was to combine CT and RT. From 1983 to 1987, 22 patients received four to six courses of CMU regimen (consisting of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and UFT, a 5-fluorouracil analog) after completion of radical RT (study 3). The three studies were comparable with regard to patient characteristics: histologic type, stage, sex, and age distribution. There were no significant differences in survival and relapse figures between study 1 and study 2, but study 3 compared favorably with study 1 and study 2 in actuarial survival, relapse-free survival, relapse rate, and median relapse time. A mild nausea and transient granulocytopenia during CT was the only side effect encountered. In conclusion, the use of CT in combination with RT appeared to increase significantly the chance of long-term survival and probable cure.