1. Capecitabine monotherapy for recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer.
- Author
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Chua D, Wei WI, Sham JS, and Au GK
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic administration & dosage, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic adverse effects, Capecitabine, Deoxycytidine administration & dosage, Deoxycytidine adverse effects, Deoxycytidine therapeutic use, Disease-Free Survival, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Fluorouracil administration & dosage, Fluorouracil adverse effects, Fluorouracil therapeutic use, Follow-Up Studies, Foot Dermatoses chemically induced, Hand Dermatoses chemically induced, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms mortality, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local mortality, Odds Ratio, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Survival Analysis, Treatment Outcome, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic therapeutic use, Deoxycytidine analogs & derivatives, Fluorouracil analogs & derivatives, Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms drug therapy, Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms pathology, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local drug therapy, Palliative Care methods
- Abstract
Background: Capecitabine monotherapy had activity in recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) as demonstrated previously in a small pilot study. We conducted a retrospective review of patients who received capecitabine for recurrent and metastatic NPC to further evaluate its clinical benefits., Methods: Forty-nine patients with recurrent and metastatic NPC received capecitabine at a dose of 1-1.25 G/m(2) twice daily for 14 days in 3-week cycles. Disease sites were locoregional in 29%, distant in 45% and locoregional plus distant in 26%. All except one had prior platinum-based chemotherapy for relapse or as adjunctive treatment. Median follow-up was 10 months (range: 3-41)., Results: Treatment was generally well tolerated. Hand-foot syndrome was common and occurred in 86% (25% Grade 3). Grade 3 hematological toxicity occurred in 6%. Partial response rate was 31% (95% CI: 18%, 44%) and complete response rate was 6% (95% CI: 0%, 13%), for an overall response rate of 37% (95% CI: 23%, 50%). Median time-to-progression was 5 months and median survival was 14 months. One- and two-year survival rates were 54 and 26%, respectively. Significantly better survival was observed in patients treated for locoregional recurrence and those with severe hand-foot syndrome., Conclusions: Capecitabine has single agent activity in NPC and severe hand-foot syndrome predicts favorable outcome. Based on our experience, capecitabine monotherapy should be considered in patients with recurrent/metastatic NPC.
- Published
- 2008
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