Dietary intakes of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids from ready-to-eat vegetables in taiwan

BACKGROUND

Chlorine-based disinfectants are often used to sanitize fruit and vegetables to produce a product called ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables. During the disinfection process, disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), might be formed via chlorination.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the amounts of DBPs that occur in RTE vegetables in Taiwan, an analytical method which can detect THMs and HAAs simultaneously was developed for this study.

METHODS

For HAAs, dimethyl sulfate (DMS) was first added into the sample as derivatization reagent and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (TBA-H2SO4) was used as the ion-pairing agent to improve the derivatization process. Afterwards, the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure coupled with gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometers (GC/MS/MS) was performed to measure the HAAs derivatives and THMs in the sample.

RESULTS

A total of 92 single RTE ingredients were analyzed in this study. Among various THMs and HAAs, the results showed that dibromochloromethane (21%) and dichloroacetic acid (12%) had the highest detection rates, respectively. Compared with fruits, vegetables were more easily to contain DBPs. For adults in Taiwan, the maximum daily exposure of THMs and HAAs estimated via the consumption of RTE vegetables were 28.53 and 77.83 μg, respectively.

SIGNIFICANCE

The findings from this study suggest that the exposure of DBPs from RTE vegetables is an important food safety issue in Taiwan.

Associations between serum trace elements and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multi-center case-control study in Guangdong Province, southern China

Background

Associations between trace elements and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have been speculated but not thoroughly examined.

Methods

This study registered a total of 225 newly diagnosed patients with NPC and 225 healthy controls matched by sex and age from three municipal hospitals in Guangdong Province, southern China between 2011 and 2015. Information was collected by questionnaire on the demographic characteristics and other possibly confounding lifestyle factors. Eight trace elements and the level of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody were measured in casual (spot) serum specimens by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Restricted cubic splines and conditional logistic regression were applied to assess the relationship between trace elements and NPC risk through single-and multiple-elements models.

Results

Serum levels of chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr) and molybdenum (Mo) were not associated with NPC risk. Manganese (Mn) and cadmium (Cd) were positively associated with NPC risk in both single-and multiple-element models, with ORs of the highest tertile compared with the reference categories 3.90 (95% CI, 1.27 to 7.34) for Mn and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.26 to 3.38) for Cd. Restricted cubic splines showed that there was a linear increasing trend between Mn and NPC risk, while for Cd there was a J-type correlation.

Conclusion

Serum levels of Cd and Mn was positively related with NPC risk. Prospective researches on the associations of the two trace elements with NPC ought to be taken into account within the future.

New insights into the composition and diversity of endophytic bacteria in cultivated Huperzia serrata

Endophytic bacteria play crucial roles in the growth and bioactive compound synthesis of host plants. In this study, the composition and diversity of endophytic bacteria in the roots, stems, and leaves from 3-year-old artificially cultivated Huperzia serrata were investigated using Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology. Total effective reads were assigned to 936 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), belonging to 12 phyla and 289 genera. A total of 28, 3, and 2 OTUs were exclusive to the roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. The bacterial richness and diversity in the roots were significantly lower than those in the leaves and stems. The dominant genera with significant distribution differences among these plant tissue samples were Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Sphingomonas, Acidibacter, Bradyrhizobium, Bryobacter, Methylocella, Nocardioides, Acidothermus, and Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium. Furthermore, the differences in the bacterial communities associated with these plant tissue samples were visualized using principal coordinate analysis and cluster pedigree diagrams. Linear discriminant analysis effect size explained statistically significant differences among the endophytic bacterial microbiota in these plant tissue samples. Overall, this study provides new insights into the diversity and distribution patterns of endophytic bacteria in the different tissues of H. serrata.

Association Between Traditional Herbal Diet and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study in Southern China

Introduction

Prospective evidence for herbal diet and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) development is absent. We therefore evaluated the associations of herbal soup and herbal tea with NPC in a prospective cohort study in southern China.

Methods

Based on an NPC screening cohort established in 2008-2015, information on herbal diet consumption, potential confounding factors, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels were collected from 10,179 individuals aged 30-69 years in Sihui city, southern China. Cox regression models were performed to examine herbal diet with NPC risk, and logistic regression models were used to examine herbal diet with EBV reactivation.

Results

During a median of 7.54 years of follow-up, 69 participants developed NPC. Herbal soup consumption was associated with decreased NPC risk, with HRs of 0.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.62) for the highest intake frequency and 0.29 (95% CI: 0.16-0.51) for a longer duration. However, herbal tea was not significantly associated. Moreover, we identified herbal soup was inversely associated with EBV seropositivity among all the participants at baseline, with the adjusted ORs being 0.78 (95% CI: 0.65-0.93) for immunoglobulin A antibodies against EBV capsid antigens (VCA-IgA) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64-0.91) for nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1-IgA) in those with the highest frequency and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59-0.84) for VCA-IgA and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.54-0.77) for EBNA1-IgA in those with the longer duration. Inverse associations were also observed in non-NPC individuals.

Conclusions

With inhibition of EBV reactivation by plants, herbal soup could significantly decrease the risk of NPC in endemic areas.

Validity and reliability of the simplified Chinese patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse events

Background

The psychometric properties of the simplified Chinese version of the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) have not been assessed. Therefore, we aimed to assess its validity, reliability, and responsiveness.

Patients and methods

A Chinese version of the PRO-CTCAE and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) were distributed to 1580 patients from four cancer hospitals in China. Validity assessments included construct validity, measured by Pearson’s correlations and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and known-groups validity, measured by t-tests. The assessment of reliability included internal consistency, measured by Cronbach’s ɑ, and test-retest reliability, measured by the intraclass correlation (ICC). Responsiveness was assessed by standardized response means (SRMs).

Results

Data from 1555 patients who completed the instruments were analyzed. The correlations were high between PRO-CTCAE items and parallel QLQ-C30 symptom scales (r > 0.60, p < 0.001), except for fatigue (severity: r = 0.49). Moreover, CFA showed the PRO-CTCAE structure was a good fit with the data (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.046). Known-groups validity was also confirmed. Cronbach’s ɑ of all item clusters were greater than 0.9 and the median test-retest reliability coefficients of the 38 items were 0.85 (range = 0.71–0.91). In addition, the SRMs of PRO-CTCAE items were greater than 0.8, indicating strong responsiveness.

Conclusion

The simplified Chinese version of the PRO-CTCAE showed good reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08610-0.

Evolving landscape and academic attitudes toward the controversies of global immuno-oncology trials

This cross‐sectional and longitudinal descriptive analysis aimed to track the evolving landscape of global immuno‐oncology (IO) trials and provide insight into the resolution of IO‐related controversies. Clinical trials (n = 4510) registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in 2007 to 2019 studying immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), adoptive cell transfer (ACT), cancer vaccines and immune modulators were included. Most of IO trials are Phase 2 and focus on ICIs and multiple IO therapies. The United States leads global IO research, with stable growth and the best methodological quality. Mainland China ranks first in the number of ACT trials but has the lowest article publication rate (6.2%). A multiple‐arm comparative design is often adopted in multiple IO therapies trials (44.0%). Trials studying ICIs and multiple IO therapies are likely to use early registration (80.0% and 86.6%) and stringent corticosteroid‐/infection‐related criteria. Hospitals have provided the most extensive and strongest support for all IO categories. Big pharma prefers to fund Phase 3‐4 ICI trials (6.98%), while small pharma has a wider sponsorship favoring Phase 1‐2 trials. The “partial‐use‐of‐corticosteroids” strategy is generally well accepted in ICI trials with a definitive trend (32.5%; P < .001) but is associated with the poor dissemination of results (P ≤ .020), while the complete disclosure and standardization of dose/timing limits are still lacking. Disparities in design features and dissemination of results are widespread in IO trials and are modulated by IO category, cancer type and sponsor. We propose policy reforms to redefine the timely publication of IO trials and standardize the resolution of corticosteroid‐/infection‐related issues.

What's new?

In recent decades, immunotherapy has emerged and advanced to become a key part of cancer‐fighting strategies. The rapid growth of immuno‐oncology, however, has been accompanied by controversy in suitable interventions and trial design. In this cross‐sectional and longitudinal analysis, disparities in design were found to be common in immuno‐oncology trials, with differences influenced by factors such as cancer type and trial sponsor. Trials with strict limitations on corticosteroid use had significantly higher publications rates than trials permitting partial corticosteroid administration. The data further suggest that timely publication of immuno‐oncology trials is the third year after trial completion.

p47phox deficiency improves cognitive impairment and attenuates tau hyperphosphorylation in mouse models of AD

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive impairment. The aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are two major pathological features of AD. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH oxidase, NOX) has been indicated in Aβ pathology; however, whether and how it affects tau pathology are not yet clear.

Methods

The role of NOX2 in cognitive function, amyloid plaque formation, and tau hyperphosphorylation were examined in APP/PS1 transgenic mice mated with p47^phox-deficient mice (with deletion of the gene of neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, Ncf1) and/or in p47^phox-deficient mice receiving intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ). The cognitive and non-cognitive functions in these mice were assessed by Morris water maze, Rotarod test, open field, and elevated plus maze. Aβ levels, amyloid plaques, p47^phox expression, and astrocyte activation were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and/or Western blotting. Cultured primary neuronal cells were treated with okadaic acid or conditioned media (CM) from high glucose-stimulated primary astrocytes. The alteration in tau pathology was determined using Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.

Results

Deletion of the gene coding for p47^phox, the organizer subunit of NOX2, significantly attenuated cognitive impairment and tau pathology in these mice. p47^phox deficiency decreased the activation of astrocytes but had no effect on Aβ levels and amyloid plaque formation in the brains of aged APP/PS1 mice, which displayed markedly increased expression of p47^phox in neurons and astrocytes. Cell culture studies found that neuronal p47^phox deletion attenuated okadaic acid-induced tau hyperphosphorylation at specific sites in primary cultures of neurons. CM from high glucose-treated WT astrocytes increased tau hyperphosphorylation in primary neurons, whereas this effect was absent from p47^phox-deficient astrocytes.

Conclusions

These results suggest that p47^phox is associated with cognitive function and tau pathology in AD. p47^phox expressed in neurons contributes to tau hyperphosphorylation directly, while p47^phox in astrocytes affect tau hyperphosphorylation by activating astrocytes indirectly. Our results provide new insights into the role of NOX2 in AD and indicate that targeted inhibition of p47^phox may be a new strategy for the treatment of AD.

Prognostic value of MRI-determined cervical lymph node size in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objectives

To investigate the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐determined cervical lymph node (CLN) size in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 2066 patients with NPC treated with intensity‐modulated radiotherapy, and randomly divided them into two groups, in a 1:1 ratio. One group was used for training (the training group), and the other one was for internal validation (the validation group). All patients had undergone MRI examination and the maximal axial diameters (MAD) of the axial plane of all positive nodes had been measured and recorded.

Results

Of 683 patients with CLN metastases in the training group (n = 1033), MAD = 4 cm was associated with worse OS (64.7% vs 84.6%, P < .001), DFS (55.9% vs 76.3%, P = .001), and DMFS (67.6% vs 86.1%, P = .001). Multivariate analysis showed that MAD = 4 cm was a significant negative prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.058; P = .025), DFS (HR = 1.727; P = .049), and DMFS (HR = 2.034; P = .036). When MRI‐determined MAD = 4 cm was classified as N3 in the N classification, the OS, DFS, DMFS, and RRFS survival curves were well separated. The OS, DFS, DMFS, and RRFS concordance indexes were not statistically different between the proposed N staging system and the UICC/AJCC staging system in the training group, or between the training group and the validation group (all P = .05).

Conclusion

MAD = 4 cm on axial MRI slices can be recommended as a prognostic factor in future versions of the UICC/AJCC NPC staging system.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy: clinical outcomes and patterns of failure among subsets of 8th AJCC stage IVa

OBJECTIVES

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) merged T4N0-2 and T1-4N3 to create stage IVa. In the present study, we aimed to assess the difference in clinical outcomes and patterns of failure between 8th AJCC T4N0-2 and T1-4N3 NPC patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

METHODS

We included 3107 patients with stage IVa NPC disease (1871 with T4N0-2 and 1236 with T1-4N3) according to the 8th AJCC staging system. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. The clinical outcomes between T4N0-2 and T1-4N3 patients were compared.

RESULTS

T1-4N3 patients had significantly worse 3-year OS (84.1% vs. 89.2%; p < 0.001) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; 78.3% vs. 85.9%; p < 0.001), but better local relapse-free survival (LRFS; 94.9% vs. 92.2%; p = 0.003), as compared with T4N0-2 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that T1-4N3 was still an independent adverse prognostic factor for both DMFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.517, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.274-1.806, p < 0.001) and OS (HR = 1.315, 95% CI = 1.100-1.572, p = 0.003), whereas T4N0-2 was an independent adverse prognostic factor for LRFS (HR = 1.581, 95% CI = 1.158-2.158, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

In terms of the OS, T4N0-2 patients had better prognosis compared with T1-4N3 patients, and the patterns of failure differed between T4N0-2 and T1-4N3 patients. We believe that future modifications of the AJCC/UICC staging system should separate T4N0-2 from T1-4N3.

KEY POINTS

• In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, T4N0-2 patients tended to develop local relapse, whereas T1-4N3 patients were more likely to develop distant metastasis. • In terms of overall survival, T4N0-2 patients had better prognosis than T1-4N3 patients. • T4N0-2 should be separated from T1-4N3 in the UICC/AJCC staging system.

Thyroid dose-volume thresholds for the risk of radiation-related hypothyroidism in nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy-A single-institution study

BACKGROUND

To identify thyroid dose-volume thresholds for radiotherapy (RT)-related hypothyroidism (HT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated RT (IMRT). In this way, we desired to guide the design of treatment plans and, finally, lower HT prevalence.

METHODS

In total, 345 NPC patients treated with IMRT were evaluated retrospectively during a median follow-up of 45.2 (range, 11.3-64.9) months. Serum-based assessments of thyroid function before and after IMRT were monitored periodically. Thyroid dose-volume parameters were analyzed for their association with HT risk.

RESULTS

In total, 44.1% of patients (152/345) developed primary HT. Analyses of thyroid dose-volume parameters identified a stringent dose-volume histogram (DVH) threshold defined by V_25Gy (the percentage thyroid volume that receives >25 Gy, not the absolute volume) ≤60%, V_35Gy  ≤ 55%, and V_45Gy  ≤ 45%. Patients whose thyroid DVHs satisfied these constraints had a lower prevalence of 2-year HT compared with the overall prevalence (13.2% vs 25.8%, P < .001). Another DVH was defined by V_25Gy  > 95%, V_35Gy  > 90%, and V_45Gy  > 75%, and patients whose thyroid DVHs satisfied with these constraints had a higher prevalence of 2-year HT than the overall incidence (36.0% vs 25.8%, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

We recommend V_25Gy  ≤ 60%, V_35Gy  ≤ 55%, and V_45Gy  ≤ 45% as the "stringent" DVH line, and V_25Gy  > 95%, V_35Gy  > 90%, and V_45Gy  > 75% as the "inhibition" DVH line, under the precondition of not compromising the target coverage. These findings could help in the design of individual treatment plans and, eventually, to lowering of HT prevalence.

Prognostic Value of Deep Learning PET/CT-Based Radiomics: Potential Role for Future Individual Induction Chemotherapy in Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the value of deep learning on positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT)-based radiomics for individual induction chemotherapy (IC) in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We constructed radiomics signatures and nomogram for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) based on the extracted features from PET and CT images in a training set (n = 470), and then validated it on a test set (n = 237). Harrell's concordance indices (C-index) and time-independent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were applied to evaluate the discriminatory ability of radiomics nomogram, and compare radiomics signatures with plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA.

RESULTS

A total of 18 features were selected to construct CT-based and PET-based signatures, which were significantly associated with DFS (P < 0.001). Using these signatures, we proposed a radiomics nomogram with a C-index of 0.754 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.709-0.800] in the training set and 0.722 (95% CI, 0.652-0.792) in the test set. Consequently, 206 (29.1%) patients were stratified as high-risk group and the other 501 (70.9%) as low-risk group by the radiomics nomogram, and the corresponding 5-year DFS rates were 50.1% and 87.6%, respectively (P < 0.0001). High-risk patients could benefit from IC while the low-risk could not. Moreover, radiomics nomogram performed significantly better than the EBV DNA-based model (C-index: 0.754 vs. 0.675 in the training set and 0.722 vs. 0.671 in the test set) in risk stratification and guiding IC.

CONCLUSIONS

Deep learning PET/CT-based radiomics could serve as a reliable and powerful tool for prognosis prediction and may act as a potential indicator for individual IC in advanced NPC.

Risk Assessment of Secondary Primary Malignancies in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Big-Data Intelligence Platform-Based Analysis of 6,377 Long-term Survivors from an Endemic Area Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy during 2003-2013

PURPOSE

The incidence, risk factors and survival impact of secondary primary malignancies (SPMs) among survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without chemotherapy are poorly characterized.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Consecutive patients (n=6,377) from the big-data intelligence platform at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, China (in a high-incidence area) with newly diagnosed non-metastatic pathologically proven non-keratinizing undifferentiated NPC treated with IMRT±chemotherapy between January 2003 and June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Cumulative incidence of SPMs was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify potential risk factors for SPMs and assess whether SPMs affect overall survival.

RESULTS

Of the 6,377 patients, 189 (3.0%) suffered SPMs (median follow-up, 62 months). One-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-cumulative risks of SPMs were 0.4%, 0.9%, 1.6%, 2.2%, and 2.6%, respectively. Latency from start of IMRT to SPMs diagnosis was 37 months (range, 6 to 102 months). In patients with SPMs, 14.3% suffered SPMs within 1 year post-IMRT: 1-3 years, 38.1%; 3-5 years, 33.9%; and >5 years, 13.7%. Lung cancer was the most common SPM (50/6,377, 0.78%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated sex (male, 64% increase), age (≥50 years, 68% increase), and smoking history (41% increase) were significant risk factors for SPMs, and SPMs were associated with poorer overall survival.

CONCLUSION

This large cohort study confirms SPMs a dreadful complication for long-term survivors of NPC treated with IMRT. SPMs negatively impact overall survival in NPC. Close follow-up is recommended for older male survivors with a smoking history.

Abstract 4006: Effect of Prior Cancer on Trial Eligibility and Treatment Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Implications for Clinical Trial Accrual

Background: In cancer trials, prior cancer is a common exclusion criterion. We evaluated the characteristics of prior cancer exclusion criteria in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) trials and determined its prognostic effect on patients with NPC.

Methods: We reviewed NPC trials for prior cancer exclusion criteria. Then we estimated the effect of prior cancer among NPC patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Propensity score-matching was used to compensate for differences in baseline characteristics between patients with and without prior cancer.

Results: There were 109 clinical trials involving 10,437 patients; 49 trials (45%) excluded patients with prior cancer. Prior cancer exclusion was more common in recent or phase III trials. We identified 10,195 NPC patients; 6.2% had prior cancer. More than 70% of these cancers were in situ/localized/regional and diagnosed relatively close to the NPC diagnosis (median 3.3 years). Patients with certain prior cancer type (prostate, breast, gynecological, hematological), time of diagnosis (&gt;5 years ago), or stage (in situ/localized) did not have inferior survival compared with patients with no prior cancer. We tested one form of prior cancer exclusion criteria in an NPC cohort resembling a modern trial population: it did not adversely affect overall and NPC-specific survival.

Conclusions: Many NPC trials excluded patients with prior cancer, which impacts trial accrual and generalizability. Our findings suggest that broader inclusion in trials of patients with NPC with prior cancer might not affect trial outcomes. More research is needed to understand the appropriateness of this exclusion policy across cancer types and trials.

Citation Format: Ya-Qin Wang, Jia-Wei Lv, Ling-Long Tang, Xiao-Jing Du, Lei Chen, Wen-Fei Li, Xu Liu, Ying Guo, Ai-Hua Lin, Yan-Ping Mao, Ying Sun, Yu-Pei Chen, Jun Ma. Effect of Prior Cancer on Trial Eligibility and Treatment Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Implications for Clinical Trial Accrual [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4006.

The development and external validation of simplified T category classification for nasopharyngeal carcinoma to improve the prognostic value in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era

Background

Intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) provides excellent local control in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We investigated whether simplifying 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system T categories improves prognostic value.

Methods

We used 2191 NPC patients as a training set and 414 patients separately as an independent, external validation cohort.

Results

In the training set, local relapse‐free survival (LRFS), disease‐free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between the 8th edition T2/T3 (P = 0.610, 0.380 and 0.353, respectively). Merging T2 and T3 to proposed T2 (proT2) provided significant differences in LRFS, DFS, and OS between proposed T categories. Proposed T categories had similar c‐indices for LRFS, DFS, and OS (vs the 8th edition), which was validated in the external cohorts. Moreover, for DFS, the adjusted HRs of the proT2N0 (3.8), proT1N1 (3.8), and proT2N1 (6.0) subsets were similar; the adjusted HRs of the proT3N0 (7.0), proT3N1 (11.4), proT1N2 (11.0), proT2N2 (11.6), and proT3N2 (13.3) subsets were similar; the adjusted HRs of the proT1N3 (17.8), proT2N3 (15.3), and proT3N3 (26.4) subsets were similar; the results of the adjusted HRs for OS had the same rule. Defining proT1N0 as stage I; proT1N1/proT2N0‐1 as stage II; proT3N0‐2/proT1‐2N2 as stage III; and proT1‐3N3 as stage IVa generated orderly, significant differences in DFS and OS between stages in the training set and external validation cohort.

Conclusions

In the IMRT era, three T categories are more reasonable (merging T2/T3 into T2) and proT3N0‐2 (the 8th edition T4N0‐2) should be down‐staged to stage III.

Pan-cancer genomic analyses reveal prognostic and immunogenic features of the tumor melatonergic microenvironment across 14 solid cancer types

We performed comprehensive genomic analyses of the melatonergic system within the tumor microenvironment and their clinical relevance across a broad spectrum of solid tumors. RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of 14 solid tumors representing 6658 human samples were analyzed. The tumor melatonergic system was characterized by the rates of melatonin synthesis and metabolism using a two-gene expression model (melatonin synthesis/metabolism Index). We calculated three indexes according to different melatonin metabolism isoenzymes (Index-I [ASMT:CYP1A1], Index-II [ASMT:CYP1A2], and Index-III [ASMT:CYP1B1]). Samples of each cancer type were classified into two subgroups (high vs low) based on median values. Clinical outcomes, mutational burden, and neoepitope abundance were analyzed and compared. We found that the ability of the tumor microenvironment to synthesize and accumulate melatonin varied across cancer types and negatively correlated with tumor burden. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and multivariable modeling showed that the three indexes played different roles across different cancers and harbored prognostic values in breast cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]_Index-II  = 0.65 [0.44-0.97]; P = 0.03), cervical cancer (AHR_Index-I  = 0.62 [0.39-0.98]; P = 0.04), lung squamous cell carcinoma (AHR_Index-III  = 0.75 [0.56-0.99]; P = 0.04), melanoma (AHR_Index-I  = 0.74 [0.55-0.98]; P = 0.04), and stomach adenocarcinoma (AHR_Index-III  = 0.68 [0.41-0.94]; P = 0.02). We further investigated its clinical relevance with tumor immunogenic features (mutational burden and neoantigen abundance), which may predict immunotherapy benefits. We observed significant negative correlations with mutational burden in the majority of tumors (P < 0.05), except cervical cancer, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and thyroid carcinoma. Our study provides a systematic overview of the oncostatic values of the melatonergic system and highlights the utilization of this simple and promising gene signature as a prognosticator and potential predictor of response to immunotherapy.

Patterns of EBV-positive cervical lymph node involvement in head and neck cancer and implications for the management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma T0 classification

OBJECTIVES

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive cervical lymph node (CLN) metastasis of unknown primary origin is classified as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) T0 by the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging manual (8th edition). We aimed to investigate the possible primary sites and patterns of EBV-positive CLN metastases and to provide implications for the management of NPC T0 classification.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 269 patients with newly diagnosed EBV-positive CLN metastatic disease who underwent EBV detection via EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization. Fifteen patients with unknown primary tumors underwent follow-up after initial treatment.

RESULTS

In patients with EBV-positive CLNs, the most common primary sites after the nasopharynx (51.7%) were the salivary gland (24.5%), lung (7.8%), oropharynx (3.3%), nasal cavity/maxillary (3.3%), oral cavity (2.2%), orbit (1.1%), and liver (0.4%). No primary site was found in 15 patients (5.6%). For salivary gland malignancies, level II and I were the most frequently involved regions. Tumors arising from the lung or liver metastasized to the lower neck (level IV, V, and VI) rather than the upper neck. After initial treatment, 2/15 patients with EBV-positive CLNs of unknown primary exhibited primary NPC and oropharyngeal tumor, respectively. Further, even without prophylactic irradiation to the nasopharynx, only one of 13 unknown primary patients developed NPC.

CONCLUSIONS

The origins of EBV-positive CLNs may not be restricted to the nasopharynx alone, and are likely to involve the head and neck or non-head and neck regions. NPC T0 classification should be cautiously assigned to such tumors.

Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Load After Induction Chemotherapy Predicts Outcome in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE

To investigate whether plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load at induction chemotherapy (ICT) completion (post_ICT-DNA) is a useful outcome predictor in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to compare the prognostic value of post_ICT- DNA and post-chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) DNA (post_RT-DNA).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively reviewed 278 patients with stage III-IV NPC treated with ICT followed by concurrent CCRT. The EBV DNA load was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction pre-ICT (pre-DNA), at ICT completion (post_ICT-DNA), and 1 week after CCRT completion (post_RT-DNA).

RESULTS

Post_ICT-DNA was associated with significantly worse 3-year overall survival (86.4% vs. 93.4%, P = .023), distant metastasis-free survival (69.2% vs. 93.9%, P < .001), and disease-free survival (64.6% vs. 88.7%, P < .001) than was undetectable post_ICT-DNA. In multivariate analysis, post_ICT-DNA was an independent predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.567; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.104-5.967; P = .029), distant metastasis-free survival (HR, 5.618; 95% CI, 2.781-11.348; P < .001), and disease-free survival (HR, 3.672; 95% CI, 2.064-6.533; P < .001). The post_ICT-DNA and post_RT-DNA areas under the curve were 0.584 and 0.561 (P < .001), respectively, for predicting 3-year death; 0.717 and 0.649 (P < .001), respectively, for predicting 3-year metastasis; and 0.659 and 0.602 (P < .001), respectively, for predicting 3-year disease failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma EBV DNA load at ICT completion is a powerful and earlier outcome predictor in locoregionally advanced NPC that would facilitate further risk stratification and early treatment modification.

Individualized induction chemotherapy by pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr viral DNA in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

The role of pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus DNA (pre-DNA) for individualized induction chemotherapy (IC) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) still remains unknown. We aimed to address this clinical issue.

Methods

In total, data on 6218 patient with newly diagnosed LA-NPC receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or without IC were retrospectively reviewed. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was adopted to calculate the cut-off value of pre-DNA based on disease-free survival (DFS). Propensity score matching (PSM) method was adopted to balance prognostic factors and match patients. Survival outcomes between IC + CCRT and CCRT groups were compared.

Results

Among the original cohort, no survival difference between IC + CCRT and CCRT groups was found. The cut-off value of pre-DNA was 4650 copies/ml (area under curve [AUC], 0.620; sensitivity, 0.6224; specificity, 0.5673). For patients with Pre-DNA ≤ 4650 copies/ml, the IC + CCRT and CCRT groups also achieved comparable survival outcomes (P > 0.05 for all rates). However, IC + CCRT was associated with significantly improved 3-year DFS (78.6% vs. 74.8%, P = 0.03), overall survival (OS; 91.4% vs. 87.5%, P = 0.002) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; 86.0% vs. 82.2%, P = 0.036) for patient with pre-DNA > 4650 copies/ml. Multivariate analysis also confirm that IC + CCRT was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR, 0.817; 95% CI, 0.683–0.977; P = 0.027), OS (HR, 0.675; 95% CI, 0.537–0.848; P = 0.001) and DMFS (HR, 0.782; 95% CI, 0.626–0.976; P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Pre-DNA may be a feasible and powerful consideration for individualized IC apart from other baseline clinical characteristics in LA-NPC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-5177-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparative safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer: systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To provide a complete toxicity profile, toxicity spectrum, and a safety ranking of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) drugs for treatment of cancer.

DESIGN

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were systematically searched to include relevant studies published in English between January 2007 and February 2018.

REVIEW METHODS

Only head-to-head phase II and III randomised controlled trials comparing any two or three of the following treatments or different doses of the same ICI drug were included: nivolumab, pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, tremelimumab, atezolizumab, conventional therapy (chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and their combinations), two ICI drugs, or one ICI drug with conventional therapy. Eligible studies must have reported site, organ, or system level data on treatment related adverse events. High quality, single arm trials and placebo controlled trials on ICI drugs were selected to establish a validation group.

RESULTS

36 head-to-head phase II and III randomised trials (n=15 370) were included. The general safety of ICI drugs ranked from high to low for all adverse events was as follows: atezolizumab (probability 76%, pooled incidence 66.4%), nivolumab (56%, 71.8%), pembrolizumab (55%, 75.1%), ipilimumab (55%, 86.8%), and tremelimumab (54%, not applicable). The general safety of ICI drugs ranked from high to low for severe or life threatening adverse events was as follows: atezolizumab (49%, 15.1%), nivolumab (46%, 14.1%), pembrolizumab (72%, 19.8%), ipilimumab (51%, 28.6%), and tremelimumab (28%, not applicable). Compared with conventional therapy, treatment-related adverse events for ICI drugs occurred mainly in the skin, endocrine, hepatic, and pulmonary systems. Taking one ICI drug was generally safer than taking two ICI drugs or one ICI drug with conventional therapy. Among the five ICI drugs, atezolizumab had the highest risk of hypothyroidism, nausea, and vomiting. The predominant treatment-related adverse events for pembrolizumab were arthralgia, pneumonitis, and hepatic toxicities. The main treatment-related adverse events for ipilimumab were skin, gastrointestinal, and renal toxicities. Nivolumab had a narrow and mild toxicity spectrum, mainly causing endocrine toxicities. Integrated evidence from the pooled incidences, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses implied that nivolumab is the best option in terms of safety, especially for the treatment of lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with other ICI drugs used to treat cancer, atezolizumab had the best safety profile in general, and nivolumab had the best safety profile in lung cancer when taking an integrated approach. The safety ranking of treatments based on ICI drugs is modulated by specific treatment-related adverse events.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017082553.

The Efficacy and Safety of Anti-epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Monoclonal Antibodies in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Literature-based Meta-analyses

Background: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies (anti-EGFR mAbs), such as cetuximab and nimotuzumab have been used in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), yet their efficacy and safety are undetermined. Materials and Methods: We performed two meta-analyses based on systematic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and SinoMed: comparison 1 (standard therapy plus mAbs vs. standard therapy) and comparison 2 (radiotherapy plus concurrent mAbs vs. concurrent chemoradiotherapy) to explore the treatment value of anti-EGFR mAbs in NPC. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS); secondary outcomes, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and grade 3 and above acute adverse events. Results: Four randomized controlled trials and thirteen observational studies were eligible. Comparison 1 (twelve studies): adding mAbs to standard therapy (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) significantly improved OS (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39-0.66) and DFS (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54-0.86), but increased the frequency of skin rashes and mucositis. Comparison 2 (six studies): OS (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.81-1.70) and DFS (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.86-1.57) were not significantly different when mAbs replaced conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy concurrently with radiotherapy, with fewer hematological, gastrointestinal and renal toxicities and more skin rashes in the mAb group. Conclusion: We recommend anti-EGFR mAbs enhance-but should not replace-current treatment paradigms for locoregionally advanced NPC. Further evidence from phase III clinical trials is required.

A novel scoring model to predict benefit of additional induction chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage II-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Induction chemotherapy (IC) is gaining recognition for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to develop a model to predict benefit from additional IC to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From an NPC-specific database, 7413 patients with stage II-IVa disease who received CCRT with or without IC were included. Distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was the primary outcome and benefit from IC was evaluated by adjusted hazard ratio. Interaction terms between IC and other prognostic factors were identified in multivariate Cox model, and IC benefit score (ICBS) was calculated based on β coefficients from the Cox model.

RESULTS

Nodal category, overall stage, and pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (log transformed as continuous variable) interacted with IC and determined ICBS. ICBS could discriminate patients who benefited differently from IC in terms of DMFS well, especially for patients with high and low ICBS. As for patients with medium ICBS, predictive performance of ICBS seemed reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the ICBS model, we proposed a decision-making process to help in clinical practice. Multi-institutional and prospective studies are warranted to further validate our findings.

Proposal of a Pretreatment Nomogram for Predicting Local Recurrence after Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in T4 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Review of 415 Chinese Patients

PURPOSE

Local relapse-free survival (LRFS) differs widely among patients with T4 category nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to build a nomogram incorporating clinicopathological information to predict LRFS in T4 NPC after definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective study of 415 Chinese patients with non-metastatic T4 NPC treated with definitive IMRT with or without chemotherapy at our cancer center between October 2009 and September 2013. The nomogram for LRFS at 3 and 5 years was generated based on multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, and validated using bootstrap resampling, assessing discriminative performance using the concordance index (C-index) and determining calibration ability via calibration curves.

RESULTS

Five-year LRFS was 88.8%. We identified and incorporated four independent prognostic factors for LRFS: ethmoid sinus invasion, primary gross tumor volume, age, and pretreatment body mass index. The C-index of the nomogram for local recurrence was 0.732 (95% confidence interval, 0.726 to 0.738), indicating excellent predictive accuracy. The calibration curve revealed excellent agreement between nomogram-predicted and observed LRFS probabilities. Risk subgroups based on total point score cutoff values enabled effective discrimination of LRFS.

CONCLUSION

This pretreatment nomogram enables clinicians to accurately predict LRFS in T4 NPC after definitive IMRT, and could help to facilitate personalized patient counselling and treatment strategies.

10-Year Results of Therapeutic Ratio by Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Versus Two-Dimensional Radiotherapy in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to verify 10-year results of survival and late toxicities and assess the ultimate therapeutic ratio of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) versus two-dimensional radiotherapy (2DRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data from 1,276 patients with nonmetastatic NPC who received IMRT or 2DRT from January 2003 to December 2006.

RESULTS

Of the 1,276 patients, 512 were treated with IMRT and 764 with 2DRT. Median follow-up was 115 months. At 10 years, the IMRT group demonstrated significantly better results than the 2DRT group in local failure-free survival (L-FFS; 90% vs. 84%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.81; p = .001), failure-free survival (FFS; 69% vs. 58%; HR, 0.69, 95% CI, 0.57-0.83; p < .001), and overall survival (OS; 75% vs. 63%; HR, 0.62, 95% CI, 0.51-0.77; p < .001). Subgroup multivariate analyses showed that radiotherapeutic technique (IMRT vs. 2DRT) remained an independent prognostic factor for L-FFS in the T1 subgroup (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11-0.80; p = .02); for FFS in the stage II subgroup (HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.24-0.73; p = .002); and for OS in the stage I (HR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04-0.96; p = .04), stage II (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.21-0.75; p = .004), and stage IVA-B (HR, 0.74, 95% CI, 0.56-0.98; p = .04) subgroups. The incidence of grade 3-4 temporal lobe necrosis, cranial neuropathy, eye damage, ear damage, neck soft tissue damage, trismus, and dry mouth was significantly lower in the IMRT group than in the 2DRT group.

CONCLUSION

IMRT demonstrated an improved ultimate therapeutic ratio compared with 2DRT in patients with NPC after a 10-year follow-up, with significant improvement of L-FFS, FFS, and OS and decrease in most late toxicities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The ultimate therapeutic ratio of intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus two-dimensional radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is unclear. In this retrospective study of 1,276 patients with nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma with a follow-up of 115 months, intensity-modulated radiotherapy demonstrated an improved ultimate therapeutic ratio compared with two-dimensional radiotherapy, with significant improvement of local failure-free survival, failure-free survival, and overall survival and decrease in most late toxicities and noncancer deaths. However, distant control remains insufficient with this treatment modality.

The current status of clinical trials focusing on nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A comprehensive analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov database

PURPOSE

Clinical Trials have emerged as the main force in driving the development of medicine. However, little is known about the current status of clinical trials regarding nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed at providing a comprehensive landscape of NPC-related trials on the basis of ClinicalTrials.gov database.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used the keyword "nasopharyngeal carcinoma" to search the ClinicalTrials.gov database and assessed the characteristics of these trials.

RESULTS

Up to December 30, 2016, 462 eligible trials in total were identified, of which 222 (48.0%) recruited only NPC (NPC trials) and the other 240 (52.0%) recruited both NPC and other cancers (multiple cancer trials). Moreover, 47 (10.2%) were Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related trials and 267 (57.8%) focused on metastatic/recurrent disease. Compared with NPC trials, the multiple cancer trials had a higher percentage of phase 1 (26.7% vs. 6.7%, P < 0.001) studies and more patients with metastatic/recurrent disease (72.5% vs. 41.9%, P < 0.001). Notably, non-EBV trials had more phase 2 or 3 (78.4% vs. 48.8%, P < 0.001) and interventional studies (89.5% vs. 70.7%, P = 0.002) than EBV trials. Obviously, more phase 2/3 or 3 trials were conducted in patients with non-metastatic/recurrent disease (29.4% vs. 4.9%, P < 0.001); however, metastatic/recurrent trials were more likely to be anticancer (94.6% vs. 63.6%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The role of plasma EBV DNA in clinical trials is underestimated, and high-level randomized clinical trials should be performed for patients with metastatic/recurrent disease.

Implication of comorbidity on the initiation of chemotherapy and survival outcomes in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

To assess the impact of comorbidity on the initiation of chemotherapy and its ultimate treatment outcomes in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

Data on 1316 patients with NPC treated between February 2003 and January 2007 was retrospectively reviewed. Comorbidity was assessed using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) system. The association of various factors with chemotherapy was evaluated. And treatment outcomes of chemoradiotherapy regimes in patients with comorbidity were compared.

Results

Comorbidity was present in 42.2% of patients; mild, moderate and severe comorbidity were observed in 33.6%, 8.1% and 0.5% of patients, respectively. Comorbidity (as indicated by ACE-27 score) was a negative prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio HR=1.577; P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=1.509; P < 0.001). In stage III-IV NPC, T classification, N classification, age, sex and hemoglobin before treatment were significant predictors of the initiation of chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Additionally, in stage III-IV patients with comorbidity (ACE >0), 5-year OS for the concomitant chemoradiotherapy group (CCRT) was 74.5% vs. 56.9% in the radiotherapy (RT) only group (P = 0.008), the 5-year DFS rate was 64.0% in the CCRT group vs. 49.4% for RT only (P = 0.015).

Conclusions

Comorbidity should be assessed during treatment strategy decision-making to improve survival in NPC. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy is feasible and effective in patients with comorbidity in locoregionally advanced stages.

Role of sequential chemoradiotherapy in stage II and low-risk stage III-IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the era of intensity-modulated radiotherapy: A propensity score-matched analysis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the role of sequential chemoradiotherapy (SCRT; induction chemotherapy [IC] followed by intensity-modulated radiotherapy [IMRT]) in stage II and low-risk stage III-IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four well-matched groups were individually generated using propensity score matching in patients (n = 689) with stage II (SCRT vs. concurrent chemoradiotherapy [CCRT], SCRT vs. IMRT alone) and low-risk stage III-IV NPC (SCRT vs. CCRT, SCRT vs. IC + CCRT). Five-year overall/disease-free/locoregional relapse-free/distant metastasis-free survival (OS/DFS/LRRFS/DMFS) and acute hematological toxicities were compared between groups. The value of SCRT was further investigated in multivariate analysis and subgroup analysis by adjusting for covariates and limiting IC-to-IMRT time interval, respectively.

RESULTS

SCRT led to equivalent survival outcomes compared to CCRT/IMRT alone and CCRT/IC + CCRT in stage II and low-risk stage III-IV NPC, respectively (all P > .050). In multivariate analysis, patients with stage II NPC treated by SCRT obtained higher DMFS (AHR = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.05-1.00, P = .050), but not OS, DFS or LRRFS, compared to patients receiving CCRT; non-significant differences were observed between SCRT and other treatments. SCRT with short IC-to-IMRT time interval (≤70 days) achieved higher 5-year survival rates than IMRT alone (DMFS: P = .046), CCRT (stage II NPC; OS: P = .047; DMFS: P = .020) and IC + CCRT (DFS: P = .041). Moreover, SCRT was associated with higher, equivalent and lower frequencies of acute hematological toxicities than IMRT alone, CCRT and IC + CCRT, respectively.

CONCLUSION

SCRT is mainly beneficial in stage II NPC, leading to better DMFS and/or equivalent acute hematological toxicities compared to CCRT/IMRT alone. CCRT is still the best choice for low-risk stage III-IV NPC.

The efficacy and toxicity of individualized intensity-modulated radiotherapy based on the tumor extension patterns of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using individualized clinical target volumes (CTVs) based on the loco-regional extension patterns of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

From December 2009 to February 2012, 220 patients with histologically-proven, non-disseminated NPC were prospectively treated with IMRT according to an individualized delineation protocol. CTV1 encompassed the gross tumor volume, entire nasopharyngeal mucosa and structures within the pharyngobasilar fascia with a margin. CTV2 encompassed bilateral high risk anatomic sites and downstream anatomic sites adjacent to primary tumor, bilateral retropharyngeal regions, levels II, III and Va, and prophylactic irradiation was gave to one or two levels beyond clinical lymph nodes involvement. Clinical outcomes and toxicities were evaluated.

Results

Median follow-up was 50.8 (range, 1.3–68.0) months, four-year local relapse-free, regional relapse-free, distant metastasis-free, disease-free and overall survival rates were 94.7%, 97.0%, 91.7%, 87.2% and 91.9%, respectively. Acute severe (≥ grade 3) mucositis, dermatitis and xerostomia were observed in 27.6%, 3.6% and zero patients, respectively. At 1 year, xerostomia was mild, with frequencies of Grade 0, 1, 2 and 3 xerostomia of 27.9%, 63.3%, 8.3% and 0.5%, respectively.

Conclusions

IMRT using individualized CTVs provided high rates of local and regional control and a favorable toxicity profile in NPC. Individualized CTV delineation strategy is a promising one that may effectively avoid unnecessary or missed irradiation, and deserve optimization to define more precise individualized CTVs.

Survival analysis of patients with advanced-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma according to the Epstein-Barr virus status

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic differences in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who are positive and negative for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Results

Of the 1106 patients, 248 (22.4%) had undetectable pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA levels. The total distant metastasis rate for EBV-negative group vs. EBV-positive group were 3.6% (9/248) vs. 15.0% (128/858) (P < 0.001). The estimated 4-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) for EBV-negative group vs. EBV-positive group were 88.9% vs. 76.9% (P < 0.001), 93.6% vs. 85.9% (P = 0.001), 96.7% vs. 84.8% (P < 0.001) and 94.1% vs. 90.0% (P = 0.1), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the EBV status was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR, 1.813; 95% CI, 1.219-2.695; P = 0.003), OS (HR, 1.828; 95% CI, 1.075-3.107; P = 0.026) and DMFS (HR, 3.678; 95% CI, 1.859-7.277; P <0.001), and overall stage still remained the most important prognostic factor in patients with stage III-IVB NPC.

Methods and Materials

Data on 1106 patients with non-metastatic, histologically proven advanced-stage (III-IVB) NPC who underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were retrospectively reviewed. Patient survival between different EBV status groups were compared.

Conclusions

EBV status was an independent prognostic factor for patients with stage III–IVB NPC. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) should be better treatment regimen for EBV-positive patients since distant metastasis was the main failure pattern, and CCRT may be enough for EBV-negative patients.

Cigarette smoking complements the prognostic value of baseline plasma Epstein-Barr virus deoxyribonucleic acid in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy: a large-scale retrospective cohort study

We evaluated the combined prognostic value of cigarette smoking and baseline plasma Epstein-Barr virus deoxyribonucleic acid (EBV DNA) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Of consecutive patients, 1501 with complete data were eligible for retrospective analysis. Smoking index (SI; cigarette packs per day times smoking duration [years]), was used to evaluate the cumulative effect of smoking. Primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasisfree survival (DMFS) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS) were secondary end-points. Both cigarette smoking and baseline plasma EBV DNA load were associated with poorer survival (P<0.001). Patients were divided into four groups: low EBV DNA and light smoker (LL), low EBV DNA and heavy smoker (LH), high EBV DNA and light smoker (HL), and high EBV DNA and heavy smoker (HH). The respective 5-year survival rates were: OS (93.1%, 87.2%, 82.9%, and 76.3%, P<0.001), PFS (87.0%, 84.0%, 73.9%, and 64.6%, P<0.001), DMFS (94.1%, 92.1%, 82.4%, and72.5%, P<0.001), and LRFS (92.8%, 92.4%, 88.7%, and 84.0%, P=0.012).OS and PFS were significantly different between the LH and HL groups and HL and HH groups, but not LL and LH groups (pairwise comparisons). The combined risk stratification remained an independent prognostic factor for all endpoints (all P_trend<0.001; multivariate analysis). Both cigarette smoking and baseline plasma EBV DNA were independent prognostic factors for survival outcomes. Combined interpretation of EBV DNA with smoking led to the refinement of the risks stratification for patient subsets, especially with improved risk discrimination in patients with high baseline plasma EBV DNA.

Patient- and treatment-related risk factors associated with neck muscle spasm in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after intensity-modulated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the incidence of neck muscle spasm in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients that received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and to analyse the patient- and treatment-related risk factors associated with neck muscle spasm.

METHODS

A sample of 152 IMRT-treated, biopsy-proven, nondisseminated NPC patients were retrospectively analysed. All had documented IMRT treatment plans and had returned for follow-up review at 4 years post-radiotherapy. Spasm of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle was graded from 0 to 3 (absent to severe) and this grade served as the clinical endpoint. Risk factors were identified using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Within 4 years of radiotherapy, neck muscle spasm developed in 23.68% of the patients; Grades 0, 1, 2 and 3 were respectively assigned to 83.55, 7.57, 6.58 and 2.30% of assessed SCMs. Multivariate analysis indicated that gender, N stage, V60 (percentage of SCM volume that received >60 Gy) were independent prognostic variables, and that the optimal threshold for using V60 to predict neck muscle spasm was 61.92% (sensitivity = 0.900, specificity = 0.953).

CONCLUSIONS

Gender, N stage and V60 were independent predictive factors for post-radiotherapy neck muscle spasm, and a V60 of ≤61.92% in the SCM was relatively safe.

Critical Evaluation of the Quality and Recommendations of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background: Given the distinct biological characteristics and regional distribution of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) compared with other head and neck cancers, and uncertainties regarding therapeutic strategies, physicians require high-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to provide transparent recommendations for NPC treatment. This study aimed to critically appraise the quality of NPC CPGs and assess the consistency of their recommendations. Methods: We identified CPGs that provided recommendations on the diagnosis and management of NPC published up to December 2015. Four investigators independently appraised CPG quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Key recommendations by CPGs were also evaluated. Results: A total of 7 CPGs were eligible for this study: 5 produced by professional organizations or governmental agencies and 2 were developed based on expert consensus. Of the 6 AGREE II domains, the applicability domain scored consistently low across CPGs (range, 13.5%-30.2%); no CPG achieved a score of >50% in all 6 domains. The scope and purpose domain (≥73.6% for 4 CPGs) and editorial independence domain (≥75.0% for 6 CPGs) scored highest. Of the 23 AGREE II items, 9 scored less than half of the points available in all 7 CPGs. The recommendations by CPGs were consistent in general; heterogeneity mainly existed among recommended therapeutic strategies. Conclusions: Variation exists in NPC CPG development processes and recommendations. Increased efforts are required to make comprehensive resources available to guide healthcare providers and enhance delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care for NPC. International collaboration is necessary to enable the development of high-quality and regionally relevant CPGs for NPC.

The Changing Therapeutic Role of Chemo-radiotherapy for Loco-regionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma from Two/Three-Dimensional Radiotherapy to Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy: A Network Meta-Analysis

Purpose: We used randomized trials of radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma to investigate the survival benefit of chemoradiotherapy regimens between two/three-dimensional radiotherapy (2D/3D RT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods: Overall, 27 trials and 7,940 patients were included. Treatments were grouped into seven categories including RT alone, induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by RT (IC-RT), RT followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (RT-AC), IC followed by RT followed by AC (IC-RT-AC), concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), IC followed by CRT (IC-CRT), and CRT followed by AC (CRT-AC). To distinguish between 2D/3D RT and IMRT, three categories in IMRT were newly added, including CRT in IMRT, IC-CRT in IMRT, and CRT-AC in IMRT. The P score was used to rank the treatments.

Results: Both fixed- and random-effects frequentist and Bayesian network meta-analysis models were applied, which provided similar results and the same ranking. IC-CRT was the most effective regimen compared with CRT-AC and CRT in the IMRT era for overall survival (OS) (HR, 95% CI, IC-CRT vs. CRT-AC, 0.61 (0.45, 0.82); IC-CRT vs. CRT 0.65 (0.47, 0.91)), progression-free survival (PFS) (0.69 (0.54, 0.88); 0.63 (0.49, 0.80)), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (0.58 (0.28, 1.21); 0.60 (0.42, 0.85)). CRT-AC achieved the highest survival benefit compared with CRT, and IC-CRT for loco-regional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) (0.44 (0.15, 1.28); 0.72 (0.22, 2.33)). Among these 10 categories, after distinguishing between 2D/3D RT and IMRT, IC-CRT in IMRT ranked first for OS, PFS, and DMFS, and CRT-AC in IMRT ranked first for LRRFS.

Conclusion: IC-CRT should be the most suitable regimen for loco-regionally advanced NPC in the IMRT era.

Impact of marital status at diagnosis on survival and its change over time between 1973 and 2012 in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis

The impact of marital status at diagnosis on survival outcomes and its change over time in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are unclear. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify patients diagnosed with NPC in the United States from 1973 to 2012. A primary comparison (married vs. unmarried) was implemented with 1:1 propensity score matching. Secondary comparisons were performed individually between three unmarried subgroups (single, separated/divorced, widowed) and married group. The effect of marital status on cause‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using univariate/multivariate analysis. Moreover, we investigated the change over time (1973–2012) in the effect of marital status on NPC survival. Married patients had better 5‐year CSS/OS than unmarried patients (61.1% vs. 52.6%, P < 0.001; 55.6% vs. 45.3%, P < 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, unmarried patients had significantly poorer CSS/OS than married patients (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.35, P < 0.001; aHR = 1.40, P < 0.001, respectively). The survival benefit of being married was only detected in non‐Hispanic white and Chinese American patients. Single, separated/divorced, and widowed patients had significantly poorer CSS/OS than married patients (aHR = 1.37 and 1.37; 1.46 and 1.42; 1.43 and 1.48, respectively; all P < 0.001). The change over time in the effect of marital status on survival was more stable in male than female. The strength of the negative effect of separated/divorced and widowed status showed a downward and upward trend, respectively. Gender difference in the adverse effect of single status on NPC survival became smaller over time. Only non‐Hispanic white and Chinese American patients with NPC obtain survival benefits from married status. Single and widowed patients are regarded as high‐risk population

Comparison of Combined Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization and CT-guided Radiofrequency Ablation with Surgical Resection in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma within the Up-to-seven Criteria: A Multicenter Case-matched Study

Background & Aims: We compared the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with that of surgical resection (SR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the up-to-seven criteria.

Methods: From January 2004 to December 2014, 420 multicenter consecutive patients with HCC who conformed to the up-to-seven criteria and initially received either TACE plus CT-guided RFA (TACE-RFA) or SR were enrolled. A matched cohort composed of 206 patients was selected after adjustment with propensity score matching. The overall survival (OS) of each patient was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test.

Results: The median OS and 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 56.0 months, 96.1%, 76.7% and 41.3% in the TACE-RFA group and 58.0 months, 96.1%, 86.4% and 46.2% in the SR group, respectively. There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups (P = 0.138). For patients with HCC beyond the Milan criteria, TACE-RFA provided a longer median OS than SR (52.0 vs 45.0 months, P = 0.023).

Conclusions: Treatment by TACE-RFA conferred an OS rate comparable with that of SR in patients within the up-to-seven criteria. For patients with HCC between the Milan and the up-to-seven criteria, TACE-RFA might be superior to SR for survival prolongation.

Induction Chemotherapy Has No Prognostic Value in Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Chronic Hepatitis B Infection in the IMRT Era

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) over CCRT alone in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and chronic hepatitis B infection in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 249 patients with stage T1-2 N2-3 or T3-4 N1-3 NPC and chronic hepatitis B infection treated with IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to balance covariates; 140 patients were propensity-matched (1:1 basis). Survival outcomes in the IC + CCRT and CCRT groups were compared using the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: No significant survival differences were observed between IC + CCRT and CCRT (5-year overall survival, 88.3% vs. 82.2%; P = .484; disease-free survival, 73.9% vs. 75.2%; P = .643; distant metastasis-free survival, 84.1% vs. 85.1%; P = .781; and locoregional failure-free survival, 87.9% vs. 85.1%; P = .834). After adjusting for known prognostic factors in multivariate analysis, IC was not an independent prognostic factor for any outcome (all P > .05); subgroup analysis based on T category (T1-2/T3-4), N category (N0-1/N2-3), and overall stage (III/IV) confirmed these results. The incidence of hepatic function damage in the IC + CCRT and CCRT groups was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: IC + CCRT leads to comparable survival outcomes and hepatic function damage compared to CCRT alone in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC with chronic hepatitis B infection in the IMRT era. Further investigations are warranted.

Pretreatment Nomograms for Local and Regional Recurrence after Radical Radiation Therapy for Primary Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background: The aim of this study was to build nomograms to predict local recurrence (LR) and regional recurrence (RR) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) underwent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Patients and Methods: A total of 1811 patients with non-metastatic NPC treated with IMRT (with or without chemotherapy) between October 2009 and February 2012 at our center were involved for building the nomograms. Nomograms for LR-free rate and RR-free rate at 3- and 5- year were generated as visualizations of Cox proportional hazards regression models, and validated using bootstrap resampling, estimating discrimination and calibration.

Results: With a median follow up of 49.50 months, the 3- and 5- year LR-free rate were 95.43% and 94.30% respectively; the 3- and 5- year RR-free rate were 95.94% and 95.41% respectively. The final predictive model for LR included age, the neutrophil/leukocyte ratio (NWR), pathological type, primary gross tumor volume, maxillary sinus invasion, ethmoidal sinus invasion and lacerated foramen invasion; the model for RR involved NWR, plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA copy number, cervical lymph node volume and N category. The models showed fairly good discriminatory ability with concordance indices (c-indices) of 0.76 and 0.74 for predicting LR and RR, respectively, as well as good calibration. The proposed stratification of risk groups based on the nomograms allowed significant distinction between Kaplan-Meier curves for LR and RR.

Conclusions: The proposed nomograms resulted in more-accurate prognostic prediction for LR and RR with a high concordance, hence to inform patients with high risk of recurrence on more aggressive therapy. The prognostic nomograms could better stratify patients into different risk groups.

Neutropenia during the First Cycle of Induction Chemotherapy Is Prognostic for Poor Survival in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Real-World Study in an Endemic Area

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of neutropenia during the first cycle of induction chemotherapy (IC-1) on survival in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC).

Materials and Methods

Eligible patients (n=545) with LANPC receiving IC+concurrent chemoradiotherapy were included. Based on nadir neutrophil afterIC-1, all patientswere categorized into three groups: no/grade 1-2/grade 3-4 neutropenia. Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups and subgroups stratified by IC regimen. We also explored the occurrence of IC-1-induced myelosuppression events and the minimal value of post-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (post-NLRmin). Univariate/multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the effect of IC-1-induced neutropenia, timing of neutropenia, number of myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin on OS/DFS.

Results

Grade 1-2/grade 3-4 neutropeniawere associatedwith poorer OS/DFS than no neutropenia (all p &lt; 0.05); OS/DFS were not significantly different between patients experiencing grade 1-2 vs. 3-4 neutropenia. Neutropenia had no significant effect on OS/DFS in patients receiving docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil (TPF). Grade 1-2 (grade 3-4) neutropenia negatively influenced OS/DFS in patients receiving cisplatin-5-fluorouracil (PF) (PF and docetaxel-cisplatin [TP]; all p &lt; 0.05). Neutropenia, two/three myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin (≥ 1.33) was most frequent on days 5-10, second and third week of IC-1, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, IC-1-induced neutropenia, two/three myelosuppression events, and post-NLRmin ≥ 1.33were validated as negative predictors of OS/DFS (all p &lt; 0.05); timing of neutropenia had no significant effect.

Conclusion

Occurrence of neutropenia, number of myelosuppression events, and high post-NLRmin during PF/TP IC-1 have prognostic value for poor survival in LANPC.

Cetuximab or nimotuzumab plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus cisplatin plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy for stage II-IVb nasopharyngeal carcinoma

To compare intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with cisplatin (CDDP) versus cetuximab (CTX) and nimotuzumab (NTZ) for Stage II-IVb Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). A total of 1,837 patients with stage II-IV_b NPC who received IMRT plus CTX or NTZ, or CDDP between January 2009 and December 2013 were included in the current analysis. Using propensity scores to adjust for potential prognostic factors, a well-balanced cohort of 715 patients was created by matching each patient who underwent IMRT plus concomitant NTZ/CTX with four patients who underwent IMRT plus concomitant CDDP (1:4). Efficacy and safety were compared between the CTX/NTZ and CDDP groups of this well-balanced cohort. Furthermore, we conducted multivariate analysis and subgroup analysis based on all the 1,837 eligible cases. There was no significant difference between CTX/NTZ group and CDDP group in terms of DFS (3-year, 86.7% vs. 86.2%, p > 0.05), LRRFS (96.2% vs. 96.3%, p > 0.05), DMFS (91.1% vs. 92.3%, p > 0.05) and OS (91.7% vs. 91.9%, p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant interaction effect between patients with IMRT plus CTX/NTZ and N3 node stage on LRRFS with the highest risk of loco-regional relapse (HR 8.85, p = 0.001). Significantly increased hematologic toxicities, gastrointestinal reactions were observed in the CDDP group (p < 0.05). Patients of 3.4-4.7% experienced severe hematologic toxicities during the treatment with concomitant CTX and NTZ. Increased rate of CTX related-skin reaction and mucositis was observed in the CTX group. CTX/NTZ used concurrently with IMRT may be comparable to those of the standard CDDP-IMRT combination for maximizing survival for patients with stage II-IVb NPC.

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with or without Anti-EGFR-Targeted Treatment for Stage II-IVb Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Retrospective Analysis with a Large Cohort and Long Follow-up

We examined the benefits of the combination of anti-EGFR targeted treatment, cetuximab (CTX) or nimotuzumab (NTZ) and concurrent platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) compared with CCRT alone in patients with stage II - IV_b nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 1,628 eligible patients with stage II - IV_b NPC, who received CCRT (three cycles of 100 mg/m² cisplatin every 3 weeks with intensity-modulated radiotherapy) with or without CTX or NTZ between June 2009 and December 2013 were included in the analysis. Using propensity scores to adjust for potential prognostic factors, a well-balanced cohort of 878 patients was created by matching each patient who received CTX or NTZ plus CCRT with no more than four patients who received CCRT alone (1:4). Efficacy and safety were compared between CTX/NTZ plus CCRT and CCRT alone arms. Compared with CCRT alone, treatment with CTX/NTZ plus CCRT was associated with a significantly increased overall survival (3-year OS, 96.6% vs. 92.9%, P = 0.015), improved disease-free survival (3-year DFS, 93.5% vs 86.9%, P = 0.028), and improved distant metastasis-free survival (3-year DMFS, 94.6% vs 89.3%, P = 0.030). Increased rate of CTX related-skin reaction and mucositis was observed in the CTX plus CCRT arm. Multivariate analysis demonstrated the combination of CTX/NTZ was a significant protective factor for OS, DFS, and DMFS in patients treated with CCRT. Our analysis suggests that the addition of CTX/NTZ to CCRT is more effective for maximizing survival in patients with stage II-IVb NPC compared with CCRT alone.

Socioeconomic factors and survival in patients with non-metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The effect of socioeconomic factors on receipt of definitive treatment and survival outcomes in non‐metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. Eligible patients (n = 37 995) were identified from the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 2007 and 2012. Socioeconomic factors (i.e., median household income, education level, unemployment rate, insurance status, marital status and residence) were included in univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis; validated factors were used to generate nomograms for cause‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS), and a prognostic score model for risk stratification. Low‐ and high‐risk groups were compared for all cancer subsites. Impact of race/ethnicity on survival was investigated in each risk group. Marital status, median household income and insurance status were included in the nomograms for CSS and OS, which had higher c‐indexes than the 6th edition TNM staging system (all P < 0.001). Based on three disadvantageous socioeconomic factors (i.e., unmarried status, uninsured status, median household income <US $65 394), the prognostic score model generated four risk subgroups with scores of 0, 1, 2 or 3, which had significantly separated CSS/OS curves (all P < 0.001). Low‐risk patients (score 0–1) were more likely to receive definitive treatment and obtain better CSS/OS than high‐risk patients (score 2–3). Chinese and non‐Hispanic black patients with high‐risk socioeconomic status had best and poorest CSS/OS, respectively. Therefore, marital status, median household income and insurance status have significance for predicting survival outcomes. Low‐risk socioeconomic status and Chinese race/ethnicity confer protective effects in HNSCC.

A National Study of Survival Trends and Conditional Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Analysis of the National Population-Based Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Registry

Purpose

Conditional survival (CS) provides important information on survival for a period of time after diagnosis. Currently, information on CS patterns of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is lacking. We aimed to analyze survival rate over time and estimate CS for NPC patients using a national population-based registry.

Materials and Methods

Patients diagnosed with NPC between 1973 and 2007 with at least 5-year follow-up were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology End Results registry. Traditional survival rates and crude CS estimateswere calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Risk-adjusted survival curves were plotted from the proportional hazards model using the correct group prognosis method.

Results

registry. Traditional survival rates and crude CS estimateswere calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Risk-adjusted survival curves were plotted from the proportional hazards model using the correct group prognosis method.

Results

For 7,713 patients analyzed, adjusted baseline 5-year overall survival improved significantly from 36.0% in patients diagnosed in 1973-1979, 41.7% in 1980-1989, 46.6% in 1990-1999, to 54.7% in 2000-2007 (p < 0.01). CS analysis demonstrated that for every additional year survived, adjusted probability of surviving the next 5 years increased from 66.7% (localized), 54.0% (regional), and 35.3% (distant) at the time of diagnosis, to 83.7% (localized), 75.0% (regional), and 62.2% (distant) for patients who had survived 5 years. Adjusted 5-year CS differed among age, sex, tumor histology, ethnicity, and stage subgroups initially, but converged with time.

Conclusion

Treatment outcomes of NPC patients have greatly improved over the decades. Increases in CS become more prominent in patients with distant disease than in those with localized or regional disease as patients survive longer. CS provides more dynamic prognostic information for patients who have survived a period of time after diagnosis.

The feasibility of contralateral lower neck sparing intensity modulation radiated therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with unilateral cervical lymph node involvement

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the feasibility of contralateral lower neck sparing intensity modulation radiated therapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (NPC) with unilateral cervical lymph node metastasis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective review of 546 patients with unilateral cervical lymph node metastasis treated between November 2009 and February 2012 at one institution. All patients were staged using magnetic resonance imaging and received radical IMRT. Patients were classified into two groups: the inferior border of the negative neck irradiation field only covered Levels III to Va in Group 1; the inferior border covered entire neck down to Levels IV to Vb in Group 2.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 49.9months (range, 1.3-69.2months). Four-year overall survival (OS:89.3% vs. 88.9%, P=0.91), disease-free survival (DFS:81.7% vs. 81.0%, P=0.91), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS:88.2% vs. 87.9%, P=0.95), local relapse-free survival (LRFS:96.7% vs. 94.7%, P=0.70) and nodal relapse-free survival (NRFS: 96.1% vs. 95.9%, P=0.94) were not significantly different between Group 1 and Group 2. Twenty-two patients developed cervical lymph node relapse; of whom 20/22 (91.0%) developed unilateral relapse within pretreatment positive neck. Only one patient developed out-of-field relapse, though this patient also relapsed within the neck irradiation field (Level II). No clinicopathological feature tested had significant prognostic value for NRFS in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

In the IMRT and MRI era, contralateral lower neck sparing IMRT seems to be feasible for NPC patients with unilateral cervical lymph node metastasis.

Influence of Cervical Node Necrosis of Different Grades on the Prognosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

Background: To analyze the prognostic value of cervical node necrosis (CNN) observed on pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Patients and Methods: The medical records of 1423 NPC patients with cervical node metastasis who underwent IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. Lymph nodes in the axial plane of pretreatment MRI were classified as follows: grade 0 CNN, no hypodense zones; grade 1 CNN, ≤33% areas showing hypodense zones; and grade 2, >33% areas showing hypodense zones. Results: CNN was detectable in 470/1423 (33%) patients. Of these 470 patients, 213 (15%) and 257 (18%) exhibited grade 1 and grade 2 CNN. The grade 0 and grade 1 CNN groups showed significant differences with regard to distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), but not overall survival (OS), regional relapse-free survival (RRFS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Significant differences were observed among the grade 0 and grade 2 CNN groups with regard to OS, RRFS, LRFS, DMFS, and DFS. Moreover, OS, LRFS, RRFS, and DFS were significantly different between the grade 1 and grade 2 CNN groups, whereas DMFS showed no significant differences. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed CNN on MRI as a significant negative prognostic factor for OS, LRFS, RRFS, DMFS, and DFS in NPC patients. Conclusions: NPC patients with CNN of different grades show various prognosis and failure patterns after IMRT. CNN on MRI can be adopted as a predictive factor for formulating individualized treatment plans for NPC patients.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Tumor Residue after Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and its Association with Post-Radiation Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected tumor residue after intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and its association with post-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus deoxyribonucleic acid (EBV DNA) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods and materials: A prospective database of patients with histologically-proven NPC was used to retrospectively analyze 664 cases. Pre- and post-treatment MRI scans were independently reviewed by two senior radiologists who were blinded to clinical findings. Factors significantly associated with MRI-detected tumor residue were identified and included in the following multivariate logistic regression model. Residual risk model were established. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) identify the optimal cut-off risk score for tumor residue.

Results: MRI-detected residual tumor at three months after IMRT was associated with poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rates for the non-residual and residual groups were: OS (93.8% vs. 76.6%, P<0.001), PFS (84.7% vs. 67.9%, P=0.006), LRFS (93.4% vs. 80.4%, P=0.002), and DMFS (90.3% vs. 87.9%, P=0.305), respectively. Three-month post-treatment EBV DNA was significantly associated with tumor residue (P<0.001). A residual risk score model was established, consisting of T and N categories and post-treatment EBV DNA. ROC identified 22.74 as the optimal cut-off risk score for tumor residue. High-risk score was independently associated with poor treatment outcomes.

Conclusions: MRI-detected tumor residue was an independent adverse prognostic factor in NPC; and significantly associated with three-month post-treatment EBV DNA. As limited resources in some endemic areas prevent patients from undergoing routine post-treatment imaging, our study identifies a selection risk-model, providing a cost-effective reference for the selection of follow-up strategies and clinical decision-making.

Induction Chemotherapy Improved Long-term Outcomes of Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Propensity Matched Analysis of 5-year Survival Outcomes in the Era of Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term therapeutic gain of induction chemotherapy (IC) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the era of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods: Data on 957 patients with stage T1-2N2-3 or T3-4N1-3 NPC treated with IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching (PSM) method was adopted to balance influence of various covariates. Patient survival between IC and non-IC groups were compared.

Results: For the 318 pairs selected from the original 957 patients by PSM, the median follow-up duration was 57.13 months (range, 1.27-78.1 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) rates for IC group vs. non-IC group were 87.2% vs. 80.8% (P = 0.023), 88.1% vs. 83.2% (P = 0.071), 80.7% vs. 71.4% (P = 0.011) and 92.1% vs. 86.7% (P = 0.081), respectively. Multivariate analysis identify IC as an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.595; 95% CI, 0.397-0.891; P = 0.012) and DFS (HR, 0.627; 95% CI, 0.451-0.872; P = 0.006). After excluding the patients not receiving concurrent chemotherapy, IC was found to be an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.566; 95% CI, 0.368-0.872; P = 0.01), DMFS (HR, 0.580; 95% CI, 0.367-0.916; P = 0.02) and DFS (HR, 0.633; 95% CI, 0.444-0.903; P = 0.012).

Conclusions: IC is an effective treatment modality for patients with stage T1-2N2-3 and T3-4N1-3 NPC, and the incorporation of IC with standard CCRT could achieve the best therapeutic gain.