379P - Nimotuzumab in combination with chemoradiation for patients with intermediate stage and locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective comparative analysis using 5-year real-world survival data

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most prevalent head and neck cancers in South East Asia. Most patients with NPC are presented with intermediate-stage or locally advanced disease requiring chemoradiation as the primary treatment of choice. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) was found overexpressed in NPC patients. This study aimed to assess the real-world clinical efficacy of combination of nimotuzumab, a humanized anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody and concurrent chemoradiation in NPC patients.

Methods

This retrospective chart reviewed examined a sample of locally advanced NPC patients who were treated with or without adding nimotuzumab to concurrent chemoradiation at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Indonesia from January 2009 to December 2017. Real-world overall survival (rwOS) and progression-free survival (rwPFS) were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, WHO classification, clinical staging, and types of radiotherapy.

Results

76 patients receiving concurrent nimotuzumab and chemoradiation while 353 patients receiving chemoradiation alone were included in the analysis. Patients treated with concurrent nimotuzumab and chemoradiation tended to have less aggressive NPC than patients treated with chemoradiation alone. Multivariate-adjusted Cox models revealed that adding nimotuzumab to chemoradiation was associated with a statistically significant rwOS gain [hazard ratio (HR)=0.56 (95% CI:0.32-0.96, p=0.0328)] and a trend of longer rwPFS [hazard ratio (HR)=0.75 (95% CI:0.46-1.21, p=0.243)] in comparison to chemoradiation alone.

Conclusions

In this retrospective real-world study of intermediate stage and locally advanced NPC patients, concurrent nimotuzumab and chemoradiation was associated with a significant overall survival benefit than chemoradiation alone. Hence, the combination of nimotuzumab and chemoradiation should be considered in intermediate stage and locally advanced NPC patients.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.