PLATINUM-BASED CHEMOTHERAPY FOLLOWED BY RADIATION-THERAPY OF LOCALLY ADVANCED NASOPHARYNGEAL CANCER - A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 39 CASES

A retrospective analysis was performed of 39 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer treated with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy during the last five years at our departments. There were 26 men and 13 women with median age 55 (24-75) years. Histology was squamous cell carcinoma in 6 patients and undifferentiated carcinoma in the remaining 33 patients. Induction chemotherapy consisted of either regimen A (cisplatin 100 mg/m2 day 1, 5-FU 1 000 mg/m2 days 2-6 as continuous infusion, bleomycin 15 mg days 15 and 29 i.m., mitomycin 4 mg/m2 day 22 and hydroxyurea 1 000 mg/m2 daily days 23-27) or regimen B (carboplatin 300 mg/m2 day 1, 5-FU 1 000 mg/m2 days 1-5 as continuous infusion and methotrexate 1.2 g/m2 day 14 with leucovorin rescue). After completion of induction chemotherapy 13 patients (33%) had complete remission (CR) and 19 (49%) partial remission (PR). The CR rate was increased after radiation therapy to 72%. Survival rates were 88% at 12 and 78% at 24 months. Median time to progression was 29.5 months. In conclusion, induction chemotherapy with a platinum-based regimen followed by radiation therapy achieved a high rate of local control. If the treatment also prolongs survival must, however, be studied by randomized trials.