Quality of Life and Survival Outcome for Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Receiving Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy vs. Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy-A Longitudinal Study
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan (China)
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan (China)
- Department of Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan (China)
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan (China)
Purpose: To investigate the changes of quality of life (QoL) and survival outcomes for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated by three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) vs. intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: Two hundred and three newly diagnosed NPC patients, who were curatively treated by 3D-CRT (n = 93) or IMRT (n = 110) between March 2002 and July 2004, were analyzed. The distributions of clinical stage according to American Joint Committee on Cancer 1997 were I: 15 (7.4%), II: 78 (38.4%), III: 74 (36.5%), and IV: 36 (17.7%). QoL was longitudinally assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-H and N35 questionnaires at the five time points: before RT, during RT (36 Gy), and 3 months, 12 months, and 24 months after RT. Results: The 3-year locoregional control, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival rates were 84.8%, 76.7%, and 81.7% for the 3D-CRT group, respectively, compared with 84.2%, 82.6%, and 85.4% for the IMRT group (p value > 0.05). A general trend of maximal deterioration in most QoL scales was observed during RT, followed by a gradual recovery thereafter. There was no significant difference in most scales between the two groups at each time point. The exception was that patients treated by IMRT had a both statistically and clinically significant improvement in global QoL, fatigue, taste/smell, dry mouth, and feeling ill at the time point of 3 months after RT. Conclusions: The potential advantage of IMRT over 3D-CRT in treating NPC patients might occur in QoL outcome during the recovery phase of acute toxicity.
- OSTI ID:
- 21124459
- Journal Information:
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 72, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.12.054; PII: S0360-3016(08)00052-7; Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer After 76 Gy Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy vs. 70 Gy Conformal Radiotherapy in a Prospective and Longitudinal Study
Early Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Reducing Radiotherapy Side Effects: Early Results of a Randomized Trial in Oropharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal Cancer