Therapeutic results of 46 patients with initially diagnosed metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To retrospectively analyze the therapeutic results of patients with initially di-agnosed metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods From January 1995 to December 1998, 46 NPC patients with distant metastases were treated in Fujian provincial cancer hospital. Among these pa-tients, 43 were single site metastasis and 3 were multiple sites metastases;The site of metastasis were 19 pa-tients in the liver, 11 in the bone, 7 in the lung, 1 in the brain, 6 in mediastinal nodes and 6 in axillary lymph nodes. All patients received standard radiotherapy to the primary site and cervical node region with a median dose of 72 Gy. Forty-one patients (89%) received 1-5 cycles chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-flu-orouracil), and 23 (50%) received palliative irradiation to the metastatic site. Results The median surviv-al time was 20 months. The 1-, 2-, 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 66%, 47%, 30% and 19%, respectively. Irradiation to the metastatic sites and KPS were the significant prognostic factors. Pa-tients with palliative irradiation to the metastatic site had longer survival than those without (39 months vs. 13 months, X2=8.63, P=0.012). Patients with good performance status (KPS≥80) had better outcomes thanthose with poor performance status (26 months vs. 12 months, X2= 3.95, P=0.035) . Conclusions Active therapy may prolong the survival of patients with initially diagnosed metastatic NPC, especially for those who have good performance status. Under systematic chemotherapy, radiotherapy to the primary site and supportive care, the palliative irradiation to the metastatic site may also yield a good result.