Long-term Outcomes of Early-stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Radiotherapy Alone

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT06612697

Taichung Veterans General Hospital262 enrolled

Overview

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor primarily originating in the nasopharynx, commonly found in populations in southern China, certain regions of Asia, and North Africa. The main treatment for NPC is primarily radiotherapy, with some patients receiving combined chemotherapy. Early-stage NPC patients can achieve adequate tumor control with radiation therapy alone. Various studies report that the 5-year survival rate for very early-stage NPC exceeds 90%. However, some stage I patients experience local recurrence or distant metastasis after treatment, indicating treatment failure. This study aims to retrospectively analyze the factors contributing to treatment failure and prognostic factors in this group of early-stage NPC patients.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

262

Conditions

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)Oncology Radiology

Interventions

Radiology

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 20 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on endoscopic pathological reports. * Included early-stage patients classified as cT1-2, cN0-1, M0. * Had baseline imaging (CT or MRI) prior to treatment. * Received definitive radiotherapy at our institution and had long-term follow-up with complete medical records. Exclusion Criteria: * Excluded from the study are patients with local lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis (cN ≥ 2, M = 1) as determined by imaging studies. * Patients who did not receive definitive radiotherapy at our institution or had incomplete medical records during long-term follow-up are also excluded. * Patients diagnosed with any other primary cancer within five years prior to the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (excluding DCIS and skin cancer) are excluded from the study.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Overall Survival

Overall survival is an important indicator for assessing treatment efficacy, reflecting the impact of treatment on extending patient life. It is typically calculated by measuring the time from the start of treatment until the patient's death or loss to follow-up.

Time frame: The 5-year survival rate after surgery

Disease-Free Survival

Disease-free survival (DFS) refers to the period during which a patient remains free of disease recurrence following treatment. This indicator helps evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment, particularly in early-stage cancer patients, as it reflects the durability of tumor control. DFS is typically calculated by measuring the time from the end of treatment to the first occurrence of disease recurrence.