Xin-Bin Pan1, Ling Li1, Song Qu1, Long Chen1, Shi-Xiong Liang1, Xiao-Dong Zhu2. 1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, PR China. 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, PR China. Electronic address: zhuxiaodonggx@163.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Chemotherapy use remains controversial for stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This retrospective study was conducted to identify whether chemoradiotherapy was associated with better survival compared to radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for stage II NPC patients between 2004 and 2015. Patients were divided into radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazards models, and propensity score matching analyses. RESULTS: This study examined 908 patients, including 102 receiving radiotherapy and 806 receiving chemoradiotherapy. Chemoradiotherapy was associated with 5-year OS (78.01% vs. 75.12%; p = 0.22) and CSS (78.92% vs. 78.26%; p = 0.40) rates comparable to those of radiotherapy. Propensity score matching analyses demonstrated similar OS (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.36--1.10; p = 0.10) and CSS (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.41-1.48; p = 0.44) rates with radiotherapy. Age >60 years and non-Asian patients were associated with worse survival. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that chemoradiotherapy showed similar survivals to stage II NPC patients compared with radiotherapy. Due to the limitations of SEER database, further studies should be performed to verify the results.
PURPOSE: Chemotherapy use remains controversial for stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This retrospective study was conducted to identify whether chemoradiotherapy was associated with better survival compared to radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for stage II NPC patients between 2004 and 2015. Patients were divided into radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazards models, and propensity score matching analyses. RESULTS: This study examined 908 patients, including 102 receiving radiotherapy and 806 receiving chemoradiotherapy. Chemoradiotherapy was associated with 5-year OS (78.01% vs. 75.12%; p = 0.22) and CSS (78.92% vs. 78.26%; p = 0.40) rates comparable to those of radiotherapy. Propensity score matching analyses demonstrated similar OS (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.36--1.10; p = 0.10) and CSS (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.41-1.48; p = 0.44) rates with radiotherapy. Age >60 years and non-Asian patients were associated with worse survival. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that chemoradiotherapy showed similar survivals to stage II NPC patients compared with radiotherapy. Due to the limitations of SEER database, further studies should be performed to verify the results.