Glycididazole Sodium Combined with Radiochemotherapy for Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> To evaluate efficacy and side effects of glycididazole sodium (CMNa) combined withchemotherapy (cisplatin plus 5-FU/folic acid, PLF) and radiotherapy in treating patients with locally advancednasopharyngeal carcinoma. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Patients with Ⅲ~Ⅳ stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC),were randomly divided into treatment group (46 patients) and control group (45 patients). Both groupsreceived radiotherapy concomitant with PLF chemotherapy. The treatment group at the same time cwas givenCMNa (800 mg/m2 before radiotherapy), by l h intravenous drip, three times a week. <br/><b>Results</b>: When the doseof radiation was over 60 Gy, complete response rates of nasopharyngeal tumor and lymph node metastases intreatment group were significantly higher than in the control group (93.5% vs 77.8%; 89.1% vs 93.5%, p<0.05).Three months after radiotherapy, complete response rate of nasopharynx cancer and lymph node metastasesin treatment group was both 97.8%, again higher than in the control group (84.4% and 82.2%) (p<0.05). In thetreatment group, 1, 3, 5 year disease-free survival rates were 95.7%, 86.7% and 54.5%; and in control group,the corresponding disease-free survival rates were 93.3%, 66.2% and 38.6%, respectively, the difference beingstatistically significant (log-rank =5.887, p=0.015). One, 3, 5 year overall survival rates in two groups of patientswere 97.8%, 93.5%, 70.4% and 95.5%, 88.07%, 48.4%, respectively, again with a statistically significant difference(log-rank=6.470, p=0.011). Acute toxicity and long-term radiotherapy related toxicity in the two groups did notdiffer (p>0.05). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Glycididazole sodium could improve curative effects without increasing adversereactions when treating paitents with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.