Prognostic model for distant metastasis in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma after concurrent chemoradiotherapy

BackgroundA prognostic model should be established for distant metastasis in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). MethodsPatients with locally advanced NPC who received CCRT were divided into a construction set (230 patients) and a validating set (115 patients). The constructed index was derived on the former and then tested on the latter. ResultsThe prognostic score was defined as the number of adverse prognostic factors: age >45, N-3 category, hemoglobin <11.0 g/dL and lactate dehydrogenase 240 U/L. The score predicted the 5-year distant metastasis-free survival as follows: 0, 91%; 1, 74%; 2, 51%; and 3, 12%. In the validating set, the observed 5-year distant metastasis-free survival of these 4 groups with scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, or higher were 81%, 68%, 47%, and 15%, respectively. ConclusionThe established model might be useful for predicting the risk of distant metastasis in patients with locally advanced NPC who underwent CCRT and may identify the patients' need for intensified adjuvant chemotherapy. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck37: 209-214, 2015