The detrimental effects of radiotherapy interruption on local control after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for advanced T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an observational, prospective analysis

Abstract

In patients with T4 disease, the 5-year LRFS rates for patients with a RTI ≤ 5 vs. > 5 days were 93.3% vs. 72.2% (HR = 4.52; 95% CI, 1.21–16.83; P = 0.014; Fig. 4a). [...]in patients with T3 disease, the 5-year rate of OS was 88.9% in the group of RTI ≤ 5 days and 84.1% in the group of RTI > 5 days (HR = 1.48; 95% CI, 0.79–2.79; P = 0.222; Fig. 3b) and for T4 stage the rates were 77.9 and 68.7%, respectively (HR = 1.53, 95% CI, 0.59–3.98; P = 0.382; Fig. 4b). In the present study, all patients received concurrent chemotherapy that may reduce the effect of RTI on OS. [...]salvage treatment after initial treatment failure may be influential. [28] reported a 2-year OS rate of 84.2% in locally relapse NPC using endoscopic nasopharyngectomy. [...]re-irradiation and chemotherapy were associated with satisfactory OS for patients with local recurrent disease [29]. [...]we failed to include data regarding other prognostic factors, such as the alcohol and/or smoking consumption status.