title: Preliminary report of outpatient weekly adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Distant metastasis has become the most frequent failure site-more so than locoregional relapse-after adequate radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A prospective study was initiated to test the role of postradiation adjuvant chemotherapy using a weekly schedule for selected patients with high-risk NPC (N3, T4N2b-2c, and N2b-2c, with one of nodal size > 4 cm, or residual disease after radiotherapy). Through July 1993 to August 1994, a total of 20 patients were entered into the study: 16 men and four women, with a median age of 49 years and age range of 27-75 years. Pathology showed WHO type I:II:III = 2:13:5. Previous treatment consisted of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (16 patients), radiotherapy alone (two), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (two). Postradiation adjuvant chemotherapy was usually started 2 months after radiotherapy, using a weekly FP schedule (5-fluorouracil 1,250 mg/m2 + cisplatin 25 mg/m2, mixed in 100 ml saline, 24 h continuous i.v. infusion) for 18 weeks. The treatment of five patients was at 5, 6, 10, 14, and 15 weeks because of leukopenia-induced mortality, sudden death unrelated to adjuvant chemotherapy, a patient's refusal, and distant metastasis (the last two cases) during adjuvant chemotherapy. The major toxicity was leukopenia (grade I, 20%; grade II, 45%; grade III, 15%; and grade IV, 10%). Ten patients (50%) developed distant metastasis after a median follow-up time of 20 months. Our preliminary data indicate that postradiation adjuvant chemotherapy with a weekly FP regimen at our dosage is not recommended for high-risk NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D002423:Cause of Death; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012307:Risk Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil