Radiotherapy combined docetaxel and oxaliplatin chemotherapy is effective in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The outcome of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unsatisfactory due to high rates of local and distant failure, and the best way of integration of chemotherapy to chemoradiotherapy was still undefined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy combined docetaxel and oxaliplatin (TP) chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced NPC. A total of 62 patients in stages III–IVA with a newly diagnosed and previously untreated NPC were enrolled in this study. All patients received 70–74 Gy in 7 weeks using standard intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) portals and techniques. A combination of TP chemotherapy were used every 3 weeks for two cycles before and after IMRT. Response analysis including toxicities, efficacy and survival were made 3 months after termination of radiotherapy. No grade 5 toxicity (death) occurred during treatment, and the most common grade 3 hematologic toxicities during chemotherapy were neutropenia (37.1 %), thrombocytopenia (4.8 %) and anemia (4.8 %). The progression free survival rate of 1- , 3- and 5-year were 96.8, 75.8 and 64.5 %, respectively. The overall survival rate of 1- , 3- and 5-year were 100, 82.3 and 75.8 %, respectively. Our findings suggest that induction chemotherapy of TP to IMRT may provide potential improvement of tumor control probability for advanced NPC.