Improvement of survival after addition of induction chemotherapy to radiotherapy in patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Subgroup analysis of two Phase III trials.

Purpose: Induction chemotherapy has not been shown to improve survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Phase III trials. To evaluate the effect of induction chemotherapy in NPC further, we performed subgroup analysis of two Phase III trials according to the T and N stage.

Methods And Materials: Data from two phase III trials comparing cisplatin/epirubicin or cisplatin/bleomycin/5-fluorouracil followed by radiotherapy (RT) vs.

Long-term survival after cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a pooled data analysis of two phase III trials.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT) versus radiotherapy alone (RT).

Patients And Methods: The data from two phase III studies comparing CRT with RT in NPC were updated and pooled together for analysis. A total of 784 patients were included for analysis, with an equal number of patients in both arms.

Prognostic impact of hemoglobin levels on treatment outcome in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with sequential chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone.

Background: The goal of the current study was to investigate the impact of hemoglobin (Hb) levels on treatment outcome in a randomized Phase III trial of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy or with radiotherapy alone.

Methods: Between September 1989 and August 1993, 334 patients with advanced NPC were entered into a randomized trial comparing 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy (cisplatin and epirubicin) followed by radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone. Only evaluable patients who completed radiation were included in the analysis (n = 286).

Randomized evaluation of the audiologic outcome of ventilation tube insertion for middle ear effusion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective: Complications after ventilation tube insertion for middle ear effusion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma are frequent. This may compromise the overall benefit obtained from the procedure. This study evaluates the hearing improvement after tube insertion compared with observation alone to see if the benefits of the procedure outweigh its potential complications.