Prognoses and long-term outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Han and Uyghur patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Han and Uyghur patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in the Xinjiang region of China.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-one Han and 60 Uyghur patients with newly diagnosed NPC without distant metastasis received IMRT at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between 2005 and 2008. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival rates, and the log-rank test was used to evaluate differences in survival.


RESULTS
Comparing Han and Uyghur patients, the 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local control (LC), regional control (RC), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 81.9% vs 77.6% (P = 0.297), 72.1% vs 65.6% (P = 0.493), 88.3% vs 86.5% (P = 0.759), 95.0% vs 94.6% (P = 0.929), and 79.1% vs 75.2% (P = 0.613), respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression identified the following independent prognostic factors in Han patients: N stage (P = 0.007) and age (P = 0.028) for OS, and age (P = 0.028) for DFS. OS differed significantly between Han and Uyghur patients >60 years old group (P = 0.036). Among Uyghur patients, the independent prognostic factors were age for OS (P = 0.033), as well as N stage (P = 0.037) and age (P = 0.021) for DFS. Additionally, Uyghur patients were less likely to experience mucositis and dermatitis than Han patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Han and Uyghur patients with NPC had statistically significant differences in age, smoking history, and N staging. There was no significant difference in overall treatment outcomes with IMRT between these 2 ethnic populations in Xinjiang, China.
Tianjin Medical University, Tianjing, People's Republic of China; Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Ruozheng
R
Wang
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Yao
Y
Tan
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Xiyan
X
Wang
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Lingling
L
Ma
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Duoming
D
Wang
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Yunhui
Y
Hu
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Yonghui
Y
Qin
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Kai
K
Liu
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
Cheng
C
Chang
Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital of Shandong, Jinnan, Shandong province, People's Republic of China.
Jinming
J
Yu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D002945:Cisplatin