Cancer Res Treat.  2019 Jan;51(1):34-42. 10.4143/crt.2017.551.

The Characteristics and Survival Outcomes in Patients Aged 70 Years and Older with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Era

• Jin YN
• Zhang WJ
• Cai XY
• Li MS
• Lawrence W
• Wang SY
• Mai DM
• Du YY
• Luo DH
• Mo HY

• KMID: 2437596
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2017.551

Abstract

PURPOSE
We aim to examine nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) characteristics and survival outcomes in patients aged 70 years and older in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From 2006 to 2013, 126 non-metastatic NPC patients aged ≥ 70 years who were treated with IMRT +/"’ chemotherapy were included. Adult Comorbidity Evaluation 27 (ACE-27) was used to measure patient comorbidities. The overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS)were calculatedwith the Kaplan-Meier method, and differenceswere compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to carry out multivariate analyses.
RESULTS
For the entire group, only two patients (1.6%) presented stage I disease, and up to 84.1% patients had stage III-IVB disease. All patients had a comorbidity score of 0 in 24 (19.0%), 1 in 45 (35.7%), 2 in 42 (33.3%), and 3 in 15 (11.9%) patients. The main acute grade during radiotherapy was 3-4 adverse events consisting of mucositis (25.4%), bone marrow suppression (16.7%), and dermatitis (8.7%). After treatment, four patients (3.2%) developed temporal lobe injury. Five-year CSS and OS rates were 67.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58.6% to 77.4%) and 54.0% (95% CI, 45.6% to 63.9%), respectively. Five-year OS was significantly higher for ACE-27 score 0-1 than ACE-27 score 2-3 (72.9% and 39.9%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed ACE-27 score 0-1 was significantly associated with superior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.02; 95% CI, 1.64 to 5.55; p < 0.001). In addition, the rate of OS was higher for stage I-III than that of stage IV, with borderline significance (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.99 to 2.82; p=0.053). But no significant advantage was observed in OS when chemotherapy was used (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest IMRT +/- chemotherapy has a manageable toxicity and provides an acceptable survival in patients aged ≥ 70 years with NPC. ACE-27 score was significantly associated with survival outcomes in this group population.

Keyword

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Aged; Characteristics; Survival outcomes; Intensity-modulated radiotherapy

MeSH Terms

Adult
Bone Marrow
Comorbidity
Dermatitis
Drug Therapy
Humans
Methods
Mucositis
Multivariate Analysis
Proportional Hazards Models
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated*
Temporal Lobe

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Survival rate for patients aged ≥ 70 years treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy +/– chemotherapy. CSS, cancer-specific survival; OS, overall survival.

• 

  Fig. 2. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival is stratified by ACE-27 (A), chemotherapy (B), overall stage (C), and primary tumor dose (D). HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; ACE-27, Adult Comorbidity Evaluation 27; CRT, chemoradiotherapy; RT, radiotherapy.

• 

  Fig. 3. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival stratified by chemotherapy (RT vs. CRT) in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (A), ACE-27 score < 2 (B), and ACE-27 score ≥ 2 (C). HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; RT, radiotherapy; CRT, chemoradiotherapy; ACE-27, Adult Comorbidity Evaluation 27.

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