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. 2020 Sep 16:12:1758835920953738.
doi: 10.1177/1758835920953738. eCollection 2020.

Nimotuzumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Yunshu Zhu  1 , Sheng Yang  1 , Shengyu Zhou  1 , Jianliang Yang  1 , Yan Qin  1 , Lin Gui  1 , Yuankai Shi  1 , Xiaohui He  1
Affiliations

Nimotuzumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Yunshu Zhu et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Palliative chemotherapy has been the mainstay treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M-NPC). However, little is known about the efficacy and toxicity of nimotuzumab (NTZ) - a monoclonal antibody drug targeting epidermal growth factor receptor - plus chemotherapy (CT) versus CT alone for these patients.

Methods: The database at Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences was queried for patients diagnosed with NPC who received CT with or without NTZ between 2004 and 2018. Treatment compliance, survival outcomes, and adverse effects were compared among these groups.

Results: Records of 70 patients with R/M-NPC were reviewed: 21 (30%) received NTZ plus CT (NTZ+CT) and 49 (70%) received CT. CT regimens included gemcitabine plus platinum, taxane plus platinum (TP), and fluorouracil plus platinum. Comparing the CT group with NTZ+CT group, the median follow up was 62 months (range = 3-133) versus 59 months (range = 9-117); median progression free survival was 7.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.552-8.381] months versus 8.5 (95% CI 6.091-10.976) months, p = 0.424; median overall survival (OS) was 25.6 (95% CI 18.888-32.379) months versus 48.6 (95% CI 35.619-61.581) months, p = 0.017, respectively. Multivariable analysis established treatment group (CT versus NTZ+CT) as an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 0.5; 95% CI 0.255-0.979; p = 0.043). No significant difference with regard to toxicities was observed between the two groups. Among them, a subgroup analysis was performed in 53 (75.7%) patients who received TP with or without NTZ, which showed similar results.

Conclusion: Our findings suggested that NTZ+CT provides a novel treatment option and prolongs survival significantly for R/M-NPC.

Keywords: adverse effects; chemotherapy; distant metastasis; efficacy; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; nimotuzumab; recurrence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Survival curves of PFS in 70 patients. x-axis, months; y-axis, cumulative survival; blue line, CT group; yellow line, NTZ+CT group. CT, chemotherapy; NTZ, nimotuzumab; PFS, progression free survival.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Survival curves of OS in 70 patients. x-axis, months; y-axis, cumulative survival; blue line, CT group; yellow line, NTZ+CT group. CT, chemotherapy; NTZ, nimotuzumab; OS, overall survival.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Survival curves of PFS in 53 patients. x-axis, months; y-axis, cumulative survival; blue line, TP group; yellow line, NTZ+TP group. NTZ, nimotuzumab; PFS, progression free survival; TP, taxane plus platinum.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Survival curves of OS in 53 patients. x-axis, months; y-axis, cumulative survival; blue line, TP group; yellow line, NTZ+TP group. NTZ, nimotuzumab; OS, overall survival; TP, taxane plus platinum.
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