Ji-Jin Yao1, Jia Kou2, Qing-He Peng2, Jun Dong3, Wang-Jian Zhang4, Wayne R Lawrence4, Fan Zhang5, Guan-Qun Zhou2, Si-Yang Wang5, Ying Sun6. 1. Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.; Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province 519001, China.. Electronic address: yaojj@sysucc.org.cn. 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China. 3. Department of VIP Region, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, PR China. 4. Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology & Health Information Research Center & Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, China.; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer 12144, United States. 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province 519001, China. 6. Department of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.. Electronic address: sunying@sysucc.org.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We evaluated the prognostic value of serum bilirubin in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. METHODS: Seven-hundred fifty-nine advanced NPC patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Serum indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) were measured before treatment. To evaluate different cutoff points for serum bilirubin, we utilized ROC curves. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were adopted to calculate and compare survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: At 5 y, IBIL >7.15 μmol/l were significantly associated with superior progression-free survival (PFS, 83.6% vs 70.3%; P < .001), overall survival (OS, 88.6% vs 80.5%; P = .012), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, 90.3% vs 82.8%; P = .006), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS, 92.1% vs 86.4%; P = .048) than IBIL ≤7.15 μmol/l. Similarly, patients with DBIL >2.65 μmol/l had better prognosis across all outcomes than those of patients with DBIL ≤2.65 μmol/l (all P < .05), except no difference was observed in LRFS (90.5% vs. 87.3%, P = .195). Multivariate analyses showed that IBIL >7.15 μmol/l was an independent protective prognostic factor for PFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40-0.81; P = .002), OS (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.43-0.92; P = .041), and DMFS (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40-0.98; P = .034); while serum DBIL only remained significant for PFS (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.89; P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment IBIL and DBIL are potentially independent prognostic factors for patients with advanced NPC.
BACKGROUND: We evaluated the prognostic value of serum bilirubin in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. METHODS: Seven-hundred fifty-nine advanced NPCpatients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Serum indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) were measured before treatment. To evaluate different cutoff points for serum bilirubin, we utilized ROC curves. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were adopted to calculate and compare survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: At 5 y, IBIL >7.15 μmol/l were significantly associated with superior progression-free survival (PFS, 83.6% vs 70.3%; P < .001), overall survival (OS, 88.6% vs 80.5%; P = .012), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, 90.3% vs 82.8%; P = .006), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS, 92.1% vs 86.4%; P = .048) than IBIL ≤7.15 μmol/l. Similarly, patients with DBIL >2.65 μmol/l had better prognosis across all outcomes than those of patients with DBIL ≤2.65 μmol/l (all P < .05), except no difference was observed in LRFS (90.5% vs. 87.3%, P = .195). Multivariate analyses showed that IBIL >7.15 μmol/l was an independent protective prognostic factor for PFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40-0.81; P = .002), OS (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.43-0.92; P = .041), and DMFS (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40-0.98; P = .034); while serum DBIL only remained significant for PFS (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.89; P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment IBIL and DBIL are potentially independent prognostic factors for patients with advanced NPC.