Phase III study showed that the combined radiation and chemotherapy significantly improved 5-year overall survival of patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC: cancer passageway between the nose and throat). The results are published on 4 November in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.
NPC is common in Southeast Asia and southern China, where radiotherapy (RT) was the primary method of treatments. Although the concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) is recommended by the National Cancer Comprehensive Network (NCCN), there is insufficient evidence regarding its effectiveness, and it has not been defined as an endpoint in the initial phase of testing III.
Qui-Yan Chen, MD, Ph.D., Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center at the People's Republic of China, and colleagues conducted a phase III study in order to find out if the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy offers survival benefit of a person with stage II NPC . The researchers randomly assigned the participants into two groups, 114 patients received radiation therapy while 116 patients received combined chemotherapy and radiation.
After a mean follow-up of 60 months, the researchers found that 22.8% of participants in the group of radiation disease progression, compared with 11.2% in the combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy group. In addition, they found that the 5-year overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival and progression-free survival were statistically significantly higher in the combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy group than the radiation group.
Based on the results of this study that the authors believe this is the first phase III trial comparing RT and CCRT, they come to the conclusion that the NCCN guidelines is warranted. They suggest that at an early stage, perhaps, less distant tumors, and therefore simultaneous chemo-radiotherapy may be more effective in destroying micro-distant metastasis. Although participants who received combined chemotherapy and radiation experienced more toxic side effects than people in the group of radiation therapy was well tolerated in general, when the dose was reduced by chemotherapy.
Chen et al explain:
"Overall, we believe that the best choice for early stage NPC cisplatin on a weekly dose of 30 mg/m2, both for the optimal effect of chemotherapy to eradicate small tumors and distant to ensure that the NPC patients."
NPC is common in Southeast Asia and southern China, where radiotherapy (RT) was the primary method of treatments. Although the concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) is recommended by the National Cancer Comprehensive Network (NCCN), there is insufficient evidence regarding its effectiveness, and it has not been defined as an endpoint in the initial phase of testing III.
Qui-Yan Chen, MD, Ph.D., Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center at the People's Republic of China, and colleagues conducted a phase III study in order to find out if the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy offers survival benefit of a person with stage II NPC . The researchers randomly assigned the participants into two groups, 114 patients received radiation therapy while 116 patients received combined chemotherapy and radiation.
After a mean follow-up of 60 months, the researchers found that 22.8% of participants in the group of radiation disease progression, compared with 11.2% in the combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy group. In addition, they found that the 5-year overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival and progression-free survival were statistically significantly higher in the combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy group than the radiation group.
Based on the results of this study that the authors believe this is the first phase III trial comparing RT and CCRT, they come to the conclusion that the NCCN guidelines is warranted. They suggest that at an early stage, perhaps, less distant tumors, and therefore simultaneous chemo-radiotherapy may be more effective in destroying micro-distant metastasis. Although participants who received combined chemotherapy and radiation experienced more toxic side effects than people in the group of radiation therapy was well tolerated in general, when the dose was reduced by chemotherapy.
Chen et al explain:
"Overall, we believe that the best choice for early stage NPC cisplatin on a weekly dose of 30 mg/m2, both for the optimal effect of chemotherapy to eradicate small tumors and distant to ensure that the NPC patients."
No comments:
Post a Comment