Trends in the survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma between 1976 and 2005 in Sihui, China: a population-based study

Abstract

Both the incidence and mortality of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have decreased in Hong Kong and Taiwan but not in mainland China. The goal of this study was to analyze trends in NPC patient survival between 1976 and 2005 in Sihui, an area of mainland China with a population at high risk for NPC. A total of 1,761 patients diagnosed with NPC between 1976 and 2005 according to the records of Sihui Cancer Registry were followed to the end of 2006. We determined their observed and relative survival rates and used Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to predict prognosis. Our results showed that the 5-year and 10-year observed survival rates of NPC patients in Sihui were 50.5% and 36.9%, respectively, and the median survival time was 5.1 years. The 5-year observed survival rate of NPC patients diagnosed after 2000 was 69.8%, significantly higher than that of patients diagnosed between 1976 and 1985 (42.5%; P < 0.001, relative risk = 0.28). Similarly, the 5-year relative survival rate was 84.8% between 2000 and 2005 but 51.8% between 1976 and 1985. Besides date of diagnosis, other prognostic factors included patient sex and age and NPC clinical stage and histologic type. The relative risks of death from NPC were 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65–0.90] for female comparing to male and 1.28 (95% CI: 1.00–1.64) for WHO type I comparing to WHO types II and III. For the eldest age group and the latest clinical stage group, the relative risks were 2.22 (95% CI: 1.73–2.84) and 3.41 (95% CI: 2.34–4.49), respectively. Our results indicate that the survival of NPC patients in Sihui has significantly increased in recent years and this increase is not influenced by patient's sex, age, histologic type, and clinical stage. A reduction in mortality rate is expected in coming years.

The effects of hemoglobin levels and their interactions with cigarette smoking on survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated that low hemoglobin (Hb) is a strong prognostic indicator of poor disease control and survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) [1][2][3]. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct form of HNSCC in terms of epidemiology, pathology, and response to treatment [4][5][6]. Chua and his colleagues reported low mid-radiation Hb levels to be an independent predictor of local disease recurrence in NPC patients [7], which is similar to the findings of previous studies on HNSCC.…”

Nuclear magnetic resonance-based study reveals the metabolomics profile of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

“…Although recent medical advances have extended the 5-year overall survival rate, there is still no marker for NPC prognosis, except for disease stage (Chen et al, 2014). Unfortunately, the majority of NPC patients in endemic areas are diagnosed at an advanced stage, owing to the relatively inaccessible nasopharynx site and the insidious clinical course of NPC in China (Liu et al, 2013). The development of novel serum biomarkers that could act as a surrogate for clinical examination would allow the detection of NPC at an earlier stage.…”

“…However, local relapses and distant metastases frequently occur after radiotherapy alone . Concurrent chemoradiotherapy and the combination with adjuvant chemotherapy significantly prolongs the survival time of NPC patients (Liu et al, 2013). Although recent medical advances have extended the 5-year overall survival rate, there is still no marker for NPC prognosis, except for disease stage (Chen et al, 2014).…”

Transdermal fentanyl for pain due to chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in nasopharyngeal cancer patients: evaluating efficacy, safety, and improvement in quality of life

“…Although nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is seen in many countries and regions worldwide, it is common in the People’s Republic of China, especially in the south 1. It is reported that approximately 70% of cases are stage III and IV at diagnosis, due to the anatomical structure of the nasopharynx and biological behavior of NPC 2,3.…”