Efficacy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent carboplatin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background. The aim of the prospective phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicities of concurrent carboplatin with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Patients and methods. Between October 2005 and November 2011, 73 stage II‒IVB NPC patients received IMRT 70 Gy concurrently with three cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5) every three weeks, followed by three cycles of adjuvant carboplatin (AUC 5) and 5-FU (1,000 mg/m²/day for four days) every four weeks. All patients were evaluated for tumour response using response evaluation criteria in solid tumour (RECIST) criteria, survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier methods, and toxicities according to common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) version 4.0.

Results. At three months after chemoradiation, 82.2% and 17.8% of patients achieved complete and partial response, respectively. With a median follow-up of 48.1 months (1.3‒97.8 months), 9.6% and 17.8% had local recurrence and distant metastasis, respectively. The median survival was not reached. A three-year overall survival was 83.6% and a progression-free survival was 65.3%. Regarding treatment compliance, 97.2%, 68.5% and 69.8% completed radiation treatment, concurrent carboplatin and adjuvant chemotherapy, respectively. Grade 3‒4 acute toxicities were oral mucositis (16.4%), dysphagia (16.4%), xerostomia (15.1%) and haematotoxicity (6.8%).

Conclusions. Carboplatin concurrently with IMRT provided excellent tumour response, manageable toxicities and good compliance. This should be considered as an alternative treatment for NPC patients.