Use of taxane-containing induction chemotherapy in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in Chinese patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis

BackgroundInduction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for non-metastatic locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has gained considerable attention. However, the most efficacious IC regimens remain investigational. We aimed to compare the survival benefits of all available IC regimens followed by CCRT in this network meta-analysis.MethodsAll randomized-controlled trials of CCRT with or without IC in non-metastatic locoregionally advanced NPC were included, with an overall nine trials of 2,705 patients counted in the analysis. CCRT alone was the reference category. Eight IC regimens followed by CCRT were analyzed: docetaxel + cisplatin (DC), gemcitabine + carboplatin + paclitaxel (GCP), gemcitabine + cisplatin (GP), mitomycin + epirubicin + cisplatin + fluorouracil + leucovorin (MEPFL), cisplatin + epirubicin + paclitaxel (PET), cisplatin + fluorouracil (PF), cisplatin + capecitabine (PX) and cisplatin + fluorouracil (PF), cisplatin + capecitabine (PX). Fixed-effects frequentist network meta-analysis models was applied and P-score was used to rank the treatments.ResultsDC, GP, and PX were the top three IC regimens with the highest probability of benefit on overall survival (OS). Their corresponding hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CIs) compared with CCRT alone were of 0.24 (0.08–0.73), 0.43 (0.24–0.77), and 0.54 (0.27–1.09) and the respective P-scores were 94%, 82%, and 68%. The first three IC regimens showing significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) were PX, followed by GP and DC with respective HRs of 0.46 (0.24–0.88), 0.51 (0.34–0.77), and 0.49 (0.20–1.20), and P-scores of 82%, 78%, and 74%. Among the studies in the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) era, GP and PX were the best performed IC regimens, whilst DC performed the best among non-IMRT studies. Doublet and gemcitabine-based IC regimens had better survival benefits compared to triplet and taxane-based IC regimens, respectively.ConclusionsGiven its consistent superiority in both OS and PFS, DC, GP, and PX ranked among the three most efficacious IC regimens in both the overall and subgroup analysis of IMRT or non-IMRT studies. Exploratory analyses suggested that doublet and gemcitabine-based IC regimens showed better survival performance.

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Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1002/14651858.cd010667.pub2 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Zhi Rui Zhou ◽

Zhang Yu Zou ◽

Jun Xia ◽

Song Qu

Keyword(s):

Adjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

Induction Chemotherapy ◽

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy ◽

Locally Advanced

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Network-meta-analysis of chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (MAC-NPC): An update on 8,221 patients.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.6523 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 6523-6523 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Claire Petit ◽

Anne WM Lee ◽

Alexandra Carmel ◽

Wai Tong Ng ◽

Jun Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

Induction Chemotherapy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Collaborative Group ◽

Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy ◽

Network Heterogeneity ◽

Fixed And Random Effects

6523 Background: Based on an individual patient data (IPD) network meta-analysis (NMA) of 20 randomized trials and 5,144 patients (pts), the MAC-NPC collaborative group has shown that the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) to chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) achieved the highest survival benefit in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC; Ribassin-Majed JCO 2017). Here, we updated the meta-analysis with the addition of 8 trials. Methods: Trials of Radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) in patients with non-metastatic NPC were identified and updated IPD obtained. Both Western and Chinese medical literatures were searched. Overall Survival (OS) was the main endpoint. Fixed and random-effects frequentist NMA models were applied, network heterogeneity and consistency were evaluated. P-score was used to rank the treatments. R software - netmeta package was used to perform the analyses. Treatments were grouped in the following categories: RT alone (RT), induction chemotherapy followed by RT (IC-RT), induction chemotherapy without taxanes followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy (ICtax(-)-CRT), induction chemotherapy with taxanes followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy (ICtax(+)-CRT), concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), concomitant chemoradiotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (CRT-AC) and RT followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (RT-AC). Results: Overall 28 trials and 8,214 pts were included. Median follow-up was 7.2 years. There was no heterogeneity in the NMA. There was inconsistency in the main analysis, which disappeared after the exclusion of 2 outlier trials. ICtax(+)-CRT ranked the best treatment for OS with a P-Score of 91%. Hazard ratio [HR, 95% Confidence Interval] for ICtax(+)-CRT was 0.75 [0.59-0.96] compared to CRT and 0.92 [0.69-1.24] compared to CRT-AC (second best treatment in raking with a P-Score of 85%; see league table below). When the 2 types of IC were merged, CRT-AC ranked the first followed by IC-CRT with P-Scores of 93% and 86% respectively, with a HR of 0.97 [0.84-1.14] for CRT-AC vs. IC-CRT. Conclusions: This IPD NMA of the treatment of locally advanced NPC demonstrates that the addition of IC or AC to CRT improves disease control probability and survival over CRT alone. Data on progression-free survival, locoregional and distant control will be presented at the meeting. [Table: see text]

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