Treatment results and prognostic factors of patients undergoing postoperative radiotherapy for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma / 癌症

Postoperative radiotherapy (PRT) is widely advocated for patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck that are considered to be at high risk of recurrence after surgical resection. The aims of this study were to evaluate the treatment outcomes of PRT for patients with laryngeal carcinoma and to identify the value of several prognostic factors. We reviewed the records of 256 patients treated for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma between January 1993 and December 2005. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was employed to identify significant prognostic factors for DFS and OS. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify covariates significantly associated with the aforementioned endpoints. Our results showed the 3-, 5-, and 10-year DFS for all patients were 69.9%, 59.5%, and 34.9%, respectively. The 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS rates were 80.8%, 68.6%, and 38.8%, respectively. Significant prognostic factors for both DFS and OS on univariate analysis were grade, primary site, T stage, N stage, overall stage, lymph node metastasis, overall treatment times of radiation, the interval between surgery and radiotherapy, and radiotherapy equipment. Favorable prognostic factors for both DFS and OS on multivariate analysis were lower overall stage, no cervical lymph node metastasis, and using 60Co as radiotherapy equipment. In conclusion, our data suggest that lower overall stage, no cervical lymph node metastasis, and using 60Co as radiotherapy equipment are favorable prognostic factors for DFS and OS and that reducing the overall treatment times of radiation to 6 weeks or less and the interval between surgery and radiotherapy to less than 3 weeks are simple measures to remarkably improve treatment outcome.

Prophylactic irradiation of cervical lymph nodes for Stage-N0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>It is controversial for the irradiation level and dose of the regional prevention for naspharyngeal cancer (NPC) with one or both cervical lymph node-negative neck. The study was to analyze the proophylactic irradiation of cervical lymph nodes for Stage -N0 NPC patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2002 and December 2004, 205 NPC patients with negative lymphadenopathy diagnosed by imaging, were retrospectively analyzed. Before treatment, each patient underwent CT or MRI. Facial-cervical portals and 6-8 MV photons were used in radiotherapy. Doses applied were 60-80 Gy to the nasopharynx and 46-64 Gy to the neck without lymphadenopathy. Consecutive radiotherapy was performed employing conventional fractionation of 2 Gy/fraction, once a day, for a total of five fractions per week. Chemotherapy was administered to 60 patients. Median follow-up was 44 months. The survival function was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. A log-rank test was used to compare the differences in survival. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. A total of 205 patients with stage-N0 NPC were divided into an upper-neck irradiation group and an entire-neck group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3-year overall survival rate (OS) was 92.9% and the 3-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) was 91.9%. A total of 88 patients received irradiation to the upper neck and 117 to the entire neck. The rate of regional failure for the upper-neck group and the entire-neck group were 2.27% and 0%, respectively (P>0.05). The rates of regional failure in patients with T1-, T2-, T3- and T4-stage disease were 0, 3.08%, 0, and 0, respectively (P>0.05). The rates of regional failure in the patients both without and with local failure were 1.03% and 0, respectively (P>0.05). The 1-and 3-year OS for the upper-neck group were 97.7% and 94.2%, and the 1- and 3-year OS for the entire-neck group were 97.4% and 91.9% (P=0.950). The 1- and 3-year DFS for the upper-neck group were 96.6% and 92.9%, and the 1- and 3-year DFS for the entire-neck group were 95.6% and 90.9% (P= 0.730). In multivariate analysis, sex (P=0.039) and T stage (P=0.004) were independent prognosis factors for patients with stage-N0 NPC.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Prophylactic irradiation to the upper neck does not influence regional failure or long-term survival in the patients with stage-N0 NPC. Radiotherapy to the upper neck (levels II, III, VA) is recommended for the patients with stage-N0 NPC. Involvement of the parapharyngeal space, T stage, and the rates of local failure do not influence regional failure in these patients. Sex and T stage were independent prognosis factors of stage-N0 NPC patients.</p>

Tonsillar carcinoma: analyses of the therapy and prognostic factors / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To retrospectively analyze the therapeutic effect on patients with tonsillar carcinoma and factors affecting their prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 61 patients pathologically confirmed with tonsillar carcinoma without distant metastasis were analyzed. All the patients were treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from April 1997 to April 2008. There were 2 patients with undifferentiated carcinoma, 26 with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and 33 with median-well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. According to the AJCC 2002 staging criteria for head-neck cancers, there were 9 staged I cases, 7 staged II cases, 23 staged III cases and 22 staged IV cases. The treatment was radiotherapy alone in 27 cases, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy in 23 cases, surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy in 6 cases, neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy in 3 cases, radiotherapy with salvage surgery in 2 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall 5-year survival rate was 50.2%. For 16 cases with staged I-II staged, there were 8 cases with radiotherapy alone, 5 years survival was 50.0%, 6 cases with surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy, 5 years survival was 83.3%. The difference between the two treatments was not significant in statistics (P = 0.318). For III-IV staged 45 cases, there were 19 cases with simple radiotherapy, 5 years survival was 51.5%, 21 cases with radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy, 5 years survival was 36.4%, 5 cases with surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy, 5 years survival was 75.0%. The difference among the three treatments was not significant in statistics (P = 0.239). According to T stages, the 5-year survival rates of stage T1-T4 cases were 91.8%, 46.8%, 29.1%, 0% respectively (chi(2) = 30.168, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that T stage, therapeutic effect of primary site and cervical metastatic lymph node were the independent prognostic factors (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>T stage, the therapeutic effect of primary site and cervical metastatic lymph node were the independent prognostic factors. For I-II staged tonsillar tumor cases, based on organ preservation, were tendency to choice simple radiotherapy. For III-IV staged cases, yet the relationships between therapeutic mode and therapeutic effect still need further researches.</p>

Multi-center phase II clinical trial of humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 combined with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safty of the humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally, 137 patients from 7 medical center around China were randomly divided into combined therapy group or control group. There was no difference in Karnofsky performance score between two groups. All patients in both groups received radical conventionally fractionated radiotherapy to the total dose of D(T) 70-76 Gy. For the combined therapy group, h-R3 was added at a dose of 100 mg i.v. weekly for 8 weeks started at the beginning of radiotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 137 eligilbe patients, 70 were in the combined therapy group treated by h-R3 plus radiotherapy and 67 in the control group by radiotherapy alone. The intent-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 130 patients, while the per-protocol (PP) population was composed of 126 patients. The efficacy was assessed respectively at three point of time: the end of treatment, the 5th- and 17th-week after treatment. The complete response (CR) of the combined therapy group was significantly higher than that of the control group in both ITT and PP (ITT: 65.63%, 87.50%, 90.63% versus 27.27%, 42.42%, 51.52%; PP: 67.21%, 90.16%, 93.44% versus 27.69%, 43.08%, 52.31%; P < 0.05, respectively). The most common h-R3-related adverse reactions were fever (4.3%), hypotension (2.9%), nausea (1.4%), dizziness (2.9%) and rash (1.4%), which could be reversible if treated properly. Radiotherapy combined with 100 mg h-R3 i. v. weekly was tolerable and did not aggravate the side effects of radiation. The quality of life in the combined therapy group was comparable to that in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This phase 1 multicenter clinical trial shows that h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy is effective and well-tolerated for the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p>

Clinical features and prognosis of nasal type NK/T cell lymphoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features, treatment modalities and the prognosis of nasal type NK/T cell lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 39 such patients treated from June 2000 to December 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty three patients were treated by combined chemoradiotherapy, basing on anthracycline-containing CHOP or similar regimens (median 5 cycles). Eleven patients by chemotherapy alone, 2 by radiotherapy alone and 2 aged patients by palliative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy was given by high energy photon ray combined with electron beam with a median curative dose of 56 Gy in conventional fractionation. Bivariate correlations and univariate prognostic factors were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Median follow-up time for the 21 patients who were still alive was 22.5 months. The overall remission rate (RR) after initial treatment was 66.7% (21 CR, 3 PR). Chemotherapy alone got a CR rate of only 37.5%. The overall local control rate was 59.4%. Local relapse rate after curative radiotherapy was 25.0%. Radiotherapy was positively correlated with local control (P = 0.000) and time to disease progression (TTP, P = 0.002). Skin and intestine were among the extranodal relapse sites. Fifteen patients had highly aggressive tumors with a median survival time of only 5 months. Univariate analysis showed that significant favorable survival prognostic factors were: radiotherapy (P = 0.001); lower risk International Prognostic Index (IPI, P = 0.001); complete remission after primary treatment (P = 0.000); pre-diagnostic history > 2 months (P = 0.024); and free of skin involvement (P = 0.034).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Most of nasal type NK/T cell lymphoma are in early stage when diagnosed. Radiotherapy remains to be the mainstay of treatment. Combined chemoradiotherapy needs further improvement for the progressive disease type. Some patients may have highly aggressive tumors with poor prognosis. Optimal prognostic factors and individualized treatment regimens need to be investigated.</p>

Comparison between PET/CT and MRI in diagnosing lymph node metastasis and N staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical significance of PET/CT and MRI in diagnosing lymph node metastasis and N staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>116 NPC patients had undergone PET/CT and MRI before therapy. The findings of PET/CT and MRI in diagnosing lymph node metastasis and N staging were compared according to the results of follow-up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 614 lymph nodes in 116 patients were analyzed. 340 positive nodes and 274 negative nodes interpreted by image findings were verified during follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET/CT in diagnosing node metastasis was 93.2%, 98.2% and 95.4%, while that of MRI was 88.8%, 91.2% and 89.9%, respectively, with statistically significant difference in each between PET/CT and MRI (P < 0.05). Based on Fuzhou Staging System, 109 patients (94.0%) were correctly staged by PET/CT, and 103 patients (88.8%) by MRI, while according to UICC Staging System, 108 patients (93.1%) were correctly staged by PET/CT, and 100 patients (86.2%) by MRI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PET/CT is superior to MRI in diagnosing lymph node metastasis and N staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The false-positive and false-negative assessment based on PET-CT scan findings may be caused by: (1) inflammatory hyperplastic node; (2) node with large areas of necrosis; (3) node in diameter less than spatial resolution limitation of PET.</p>

Retrospective analysis of 934 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with conventional external beam radiotherapy alone / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical outcome of 934 primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with conventional external beam radiotherapy alone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>34 patients were treated from Jan. 1, 1999 to Dec. 31, 1999. The radiation fields were delineated according to the CT/MRI imaging findings on disease extent. Two lateral opposing isocentric portals with customized blockings were used for the nasopharynx and upper neck. The dose delivered to tumor in the nasopharynx was 68-70 Gy/2 Gy fraction/7 weeks. The doses delivered to the neck was 60-70 Gy/6-7 weeks for patients with positive lymph nodes and 50 Gy/5 weeks for the patients with negative lymph node.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year overall survival rate (OS) was 89.5%, 81.9%, 78.1% and 75.7%, and metastasis-free survival rate (MFS) was 84.0%, 77.2%, 74.4% and 72.0%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) was 80.8%, 73.1%, 68.5% and 65.1%, and the relapse-free survival rate (RFS) was 95.5%, 92.7%, 90.3% and 87.3%, respectively. The overall failure rate was 30.9% (289/934). At the end of the radiotherapeutic course, the percentage of residual disease was 14.6%. The 4-year loco-regional recurrence and distant metastasis rates after radiotherapy were 7.2% and 9.2% with a median time of 19.3 months and 12.8 months.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It may be helpful to improve radiotherapy curative effect when the target is individually designed through improving irradiation technique according to CT/MRI findings and by shortening the overall course time, enhancing irradiation dose and strictly implementing QA/QC measures.</p>

New clinical staging system for carcinoma of nasal cavity / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new staging system based on analysis of several presently used clinical staging systems for carcinoma of nasal cavity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 122 patients treated from 1985 to 1997 in the cancer center of Sun Yat-sen University were analyzed, and a new clinical staging system was established using computer optimizing and screening combined with the clinical results. The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier estimates, and the multivariate analysis was achieved by Cox proportional hazard model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The flaws in the presently used clinical staging systems proposed by Zhuang, Qiu, Department of Head and Neck of Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University and University of Florida and the AJCC'2002, were as follows: insufficient consideration of the modern tomography resulting in indefinite location of the tumor in clinical practice, the uneven distribution of patients in different stages, being unable to separate survival curves of different stages, and not containing of all necessary clinical staging information in some staging systems. However, based on our new staging system, the cases distributed in T1, T2, T3 and T4 was 16, 32, 42 and 32, and the 5-year survival rate was 78.8%, 64.6%, 49.9% and 30.0%, respectively. The cases distributed in stage I, II, III and IV was 16, 26, 45 and 35, and the 5-year survival rate was 78.8%, 68.4%, 51.3% and 29.0%, respectively. The overall 5-year survival rate was 61.6%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared to the presently used clinical staging systems, the new staging system may have more advantages in various parameters for the clinical staging in the carcinoma of nasal cavity, and may be worth to be widely and clinical used.</p>

Cancer of the nasal cavity / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the factors affecting prognosis of patients with nasal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>163 patients treated from 1985 to 1998 were analyzed. The survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier estimate and the comparison between groups by Log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was carried out by Cox proportional hazard model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall 5-year survival rate was 58.2%. The 5-year survival rate was 55.8% in squamous-cell carcinoma, 44.0% in adenocarcinoma, 59.7% in undifferentiated carcinoma, 76.3% in adenoid cystic carcinoma, 71.4% in mucoepidermoid carcinoma, 25.0% in rhabdomyosarcoma, 26.7% in malignant melanoma, 50.0% in neuroblastoma (P > 0.05). Patients with cervical metastasis gave a 5-year survival of 53.5% while those without gave 58.9% (P > 0.05). Patients with involvement of sphenoidal sinus or maxillary sinus gave the worse survival. The 5-year survival rate was 73.8% in patients whose cancer completely disappeared after treatment. It was 41.6% in patients whose cancer incompletely disappeared, and 34.3% in patients whose cancer remained refractory (P < 0.01). The 5-year survival was 78.3% in stage I disease, 56.4% in stage II disease, 54.2% in stage III and 35.9% in stage IV (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate of patients who were treated with radiotherapy only was 56.9%. That of patients who were treated with surgery only was 56.6%. That with chemotherapy only was 25.0% whereas that of patients treated with combination treatment was 61.8% (P > 0.05). So far, 85 patients have died up to writing this report, 57.6% (49 patients) of recurrence or uncontrolled.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Clinical stage, immediate therapeutic response and involvement of sphenoidal or maxillary sinus; but not the pathologic type, the presence of cervical metastasis nor the method of treatment, are the factors affecting the prognosis of patients with nasal carcinoma. Recurrence and uncontrolled disease are the cause of death.</p>

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the nasal cavity / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of different treatments on the prognosis of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the nasal cavity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study of 59 patients who suffered from stage I(E) primary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the nasal cavity was presented. They were treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy of CHOP regimen, in which 33 patients received chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, 8 patients received radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, 10 patients received chemotherapy alone, and 8 patients received radiotherapy alone. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, the difference between groups was evaluated by log-rank test, and the comparison of rates was carried out by chi(2) test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 71.2%, 42.0% and 38.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference among the patients received different treatments (chi(2) = 2.98, P = 0.3943), but the patients received radiotherapy plus chemotherapy seemed to have a better survival curve than other patients. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 84.2%, 67.7% and 62.0% for lesion limited in nasal cavity but 50.0%, 14.3% and 14.3% for lesion extended and involved the adjacent structures (chi(2) = 10.46, P = 0.0012). As the initial therapy, 24 patients who received chemotherapy of more than 3 cycles, and 16 patients who received radiotherapy of more than 40 Gy, and the complete response (CR) rates were 25.0% and 75.0% (chi(2) = 9.697, P = 0.002). Among 43 patients received chemotherapy, the CR rates for those who received 2, 3 - 4 and 5 - 6 cycles were 10.5%, 25.0% and 25.0%, respectively (chi(2) = 1.467, P = 0.48). Patients who received chemotherapy plus radiotherapy have higher rates of both complication and treatment-related mortality, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.202 and 0.693).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For stage I non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the nasal cavity, radiotherapy should be the first treatment to get early local control. Chemotherapy may be followed at the discretion of the pathological grade and clinical staging, or IPI.</p>

Study on prevention and treatment of radiotherapy caused post-visual pathway injury in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients by traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of TCM in preventing and treating post-visual pathway injury caused by radiotherapy (RT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-five patients of NPC were randomly divided into the RT group (n = 17) and the RT + TCM group (n = 18), they were all received RT, but the latter was treated additionally with Jingming recipe, a Chinese recipe. The latent period and amplitude of evoked potential (EP) were measured before and after ending of RT, using multi-focusing visual evoked potential inspector.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The latent time of EP, both upper and lower visual field, was prolonged significantly after RT in the RT group (P < 0.05), but not in the RT + TCM group (P > 0.05); the amplitude of EP of upper visual field lowered significantly (P < 0.05) in the RT group but insignificantly in the RT + TCM group (P > 0.05); as for the EP amplitude of lower visual field, it was unaltered in RT group after RT (P > 0.05), but increased in the RT + TCM group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Chinese medicine Jingming recipe was effective in preventing and treating RT induced post-visual pathway injury.</p>