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Finding Cures. Saving Children.
Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma responds to chemo
Children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)—a tumor arising from the lining of the upper throat behind the nose—can be successfully treated with chemotherapy before undergoing standard radiation treatment. These findings of a Phase II study of 16 children (median age 13) were published in the online edition of the journal Cancer. Chemotherapy included methotrexate, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin.
The study found that NPC is sensitive to chemotherapy, with the response rate being 94 percent. Sixteen patients with “advanced” NPC (Stage III/IV) received chemotherapy while one patient with earlier-stage NPC (Stage I/II) received radiation only. The overall four-year event-free rate was 77 percent, and the overall survival rate was 75 percent.
If further studies confirm the effectiveness of chemotherapy, physicians might be able to decrease the dose of radiation required to complete the treatment and therefore reduce the long-term effects of radiation in children. Currently, children undergoing radiation to the neck as treatment for NPC are at high risk for significant cosmetic complications of the head and neck, as well as damage to endocrine organs, such as the pituitary. NPC is more prevalent among African Americans, and its geographic distribution favors southern states.
The lead author of this study was Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, Hematology/Oncology. The study was done in cooperation with other members of the Pediatric Oncology Group, now known as the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Rodriguez-Galindo is the principal investigator of the next COG study for NPC. In this upcoming study, researchers will use pre-radiation chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation (combination radiation and chemotherapy) followed by lower doses of radiation.
Last update: March 2005
