Background/aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of curative (chemo)radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to identify prognostic factors influencing treatment outcomes.
Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 73 consecutive patients, treated with definitive (chemo)radiotherapy from 2002 to 2019 (median stage III/IV 78%). The median total dose of radiotherapy achieved was 70 Gy. Concomitant chemotherapy was given to 82% of patients.
Results: The five- and ten-year locoregional controls were 73% and 72%, respectively; the five- and ten-year distant controls were 93% and 93%, respectively. The five- and ten-year overall survival rates were 46% and 34%, respectively. A multivariate analysis identified age, smoking, and the initial response to treatment as the strongest prognostic factors in predicting survival.
Conclusion: Smoking ≤5 years before starting curative (chemo)radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma was shown to be an independent negative prognostic factor for overall survival with a four-fold higher risk of death compared to non-smokers.
Keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; chemoradiotherapy; curative radiotherapy; prognostic factors; smoking.
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