title: A phase II study of carboplatin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: This is a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of short-course carboplatin in advanced-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Thirty-three previously untreated stage III-IV NPC patients were studied. Carboplatin was given as a rapid intravenous injection every 3 weeks. The dose of carboplatin was calculated according to the individual patient's creatinine clearance and desired platelet nadir of 75,000/microliter according to the Egorin formula. Response and toxicity were evaluated. Thirty-two patients were evaluated for response. The median age was 54 years, range 30-70 years. Twenty-four patients had local regional disease and 8 patients had metastatic disease. The median dose of carboplatin given was 415 mg/m2 (range 91-791 mg/m2). Fourteen (44%) patients had a partial response with a 95% confidence interval of 26-62%. Fifteen (47%) patients had stable disease and 3 (9%) progressive disease. The overall median survival rate was not reached at 43 months. Overall toxicity was tolerable. Grade III-IV myelosuppression occurred in 4 (12%) patients. There were no other major toxicity- or treatment-related deaths. We conclude that carboplatin has a significant anticancer effect in advanced NPC. Thus carboplatin combination chemotherapy for the treatment of NPC is worthy of future clinical investigations.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whang-Peng
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016190:Carboplatin