[The long-term therapeutic results of chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of chemothrapy combined with radiotherapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
From Dec. 1989 to Dec. 1990, 76 patients with locally advanced NPC (stage III or IV) were treated with 3 cycles of cisplatin [PDD, 20 mg.(m2)-1.day-1, i.v. on days 1-5] and 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu, 700 mg.(m2)-1.day-1 by continuous i.v. infusion on days 1-5 followed shortly thereafter by radiotherapy. Eighty-six patients treated with radiotherapy alone in 1989 were taken as control. The methods and time/dose schedule of radiotherapy were similar in the two groups.


RESULTS
The response rate to chemotherapy was 89.3% [complete response (CR) 18.4%]. The overall 5-year survival was 48.7% in the combined treatment group and 33.6% in the control group (P > 0.05). The 5-year survival in the combined treatment group was 44.1% and 39.5%, in patients with T2N3 and T2-4N3 and 21.6% and 20.4% in the control group, respectively (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This prospective study demonstrates that PDD/5-Fu chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy can improve 5-year survival in patients with T2-4N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Gu
Z
Z
Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing.
Wei
Q
Q
Huang
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil