title: Metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma outcomes in patients on cisplatin with nolatrexed or 5-fluorouracil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in southern China. In this study, we compared the clinical efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin with nolatrexed (LP) or 5-fluorouracil (FP) for NPC.
  
  
  METHODS
  33 patients with metastatic NPC were randomized to the LP and FP regimens. The LP regimen consisted of continuous intravenous infusions of 740 mg/m(2) nolatrexed on days 1-5 and 25 mg/m(2) intravenous cisplatin on days 2-4. The FP regimen consisted of continuous intravenous infusions of 600 mg/m(2) 5-fluorouracil on days 1-5 and 25 mg/m(2) intravenous cisplatin on days 2-4. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks until disease progression or completion of a total of 6 courses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the response rates (RR), disease control rates (DCR), times to progression (TTP), and median survival times (MST) between the regimens. The toxicities of the two regimens were mostly grade I/II, but the stomatitis incidence in the patients on the LP regimen was significantly lower than that on the FP regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of the LP regimen was similar to that of the FP regimen. The LP regimen had lower toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jihua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jianguang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Tianwen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002277:Carcinoma; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; C099178:nolatrexed; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil