Efficacy of Helical Tomography (HT) with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy
(CCRT) +Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor in Locally
advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANC) patients invading carotid
artery and risk of fatal bleeding
Abstract
Abstract: Objectives: Are LANC patients with carotid artery invasion are
at risk of massive neck hemorrhage after radiotherapy? Design: This
retrospective study aims to assess the efficacy of HT with CCRT +/-EGFR
inhibitor in LANC patients invading carotid artery and risk of fatal
bleeding. Settings: Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery department in
our hospital in China . Participants: Of 130 LANC patients with carotid
artery invasion admitted to our hospital between January 2012 and
September 2019. Main outcome measures: The 5-year survival rate of three
degrees of the carotid artery invasion (<180°,
180°≤IG<270°, ≥270°) . Univariate and Multivariate Cox
regression analysis were used for survival correlation factors. Results:
The incidence of fatal bleeding after radiotherapy was 2.3% (3/130).
The primary site of the three cases were all the pharyngeal recess, with
more than 270º carotid artery invasion. Patients with hemoglobin levels
>110 g/L had a higher PFS, DMFS and OS than with that ≤110
g/L (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the EGFR
inhibitor was an independent risk factor for PFS and DMFS, while the
lowest hemoglobin level was an independent risk factor for OS.
Conclusion: In LANC patients whose carotid artery invasion was
<270º, HT combined with CCRT and EGFR inhibitor after
induction chemotherapy had mild and tolerable side effects, better PFS
and DMFS, with no massive hemorrhage. In patients ≥270º, diabetes with
poor control or re-radiotherapy led to a higher risk of massive
hemorrhage after radiotherapy.