Feasibility and efficacy study of weekly cisplatin with concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Preliminary results

SummaryThe aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m2 regimen in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated concurrently with definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).The primary endpoints were treatment compliance and acute toxicities. Twenty-two patients with newly diagnosed NPC were recruited in this phase II trial. All patients received definitive IMRT concurrently with weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m2 for six cycles. The treatment technique was split-field IMRT (SF-IMRT) before August 2009 and whole-field IMRT (WF-IMRT) thereafter.The median follow-up time was 15.1 months (range, 1.5–30 months). No patients experienced regional recurrence or distant metastasis. One patient developed local recurrence. One patient died of non-malignant disease. For all patients, the 1-year overall survival, local recurrence-free survival, regional recurrence-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were 95.5%, 95.5%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. All patients received the full dose of RT. Twenty-one patients (95.5%) completed all six cycles of chemotherapy (CHT). Three patients experienced treatment delay. Of them, one had CHT delay, and the other two had IMRT delay. No treatment-related death was found. Acute toxicities were generally mild or moderate. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities accounted for less than 10% of overall occurrence in each corresponding category except for a relatively higher rate in stomatitis (Grade 3, 27%). Renal function impairment was not found.Weekly cisplatin with concurrent IMRT appears to be feasible and effective in treating NPC patients and these findings warrant further investigation.