Induction and Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy With Cetuximab for Patients With Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Signed written informed consent * Inpatients or outpatients, 18-65 years of age * Histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed locally advanced (UICC/AJCC stage III to IVB) nasopharyngeal carcinoma requiring radiotherapy * Evidence of unidimensional measurable disease as per RECIST criteria * No systemic metastatic disease (M0) * ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 at study entry * Effective contraception * White blood cell count ≥ 3,000/mm3 with neutrophils ≥1,500/mm3, platelet count ≥100,000/mm3, hemoglobin ≥ 5.6 mmol/L (9 g/dL) * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5x upper reference range * AST \& ALT ≤ 1.5x upper reference range * Glomerular filtration rate \> 60 ml/min * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.25x upper reference range Exclusion Criteria: * Previous radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery (excluding diagnostic biopsy) or any investigational drug for the NPC * Concurrent chronic systemic immune therapy, targeted therapy, anti-VEGF therapy or EGFR-pathway targeting therapy not indicated in this study protocol * Known hypersensitivity reaction to any of the components of study treatments * Pregnancy or lactation period * Systemic metastatic disease * Clinically relevant coronary artery disease, history of myocardial infarction in the last 12 months, or high risk of uncontrolled arrhythmia * Peripheral neuropathy \> grade 1 * Previous malignancy except basal cell cancer of the skin or preinvasive cancer of the cervix * Known alcohol or drug abuse * Medical or psychological conditions that would not permit the patient to complete the study or sign informed consent * Legal incapacity or limited legal capacity