Defining a cohort of oligometastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with improved clinical outcomes

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the clinical outcomes of oligometastatic versus widely metastatic NPC patients. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of 157 patients with metastatic NPC at a tertiary hospital was performed. Multivariate analysis was carried out to compare the overall and progression-free survival (OS and PFS) of these two cohorts of NPC patients. The number of organ involvement and discrete metastatic lesions associated with improved OS and PFS were ascertained. Results: Patients with oligometastatic NPC (single organ, less than six discrete metastatic lesions) had a better median OS than patients with widespread metastasis (24.8 versus 12.8 months, P <.001). Similarly, the median PFS of oligometastatic NPC was better than that of polymetastatic NPC (11.7 versus 7.3 months, P <.001). Conclusion: Single organ disease with less than six discrete lesions is a good indicator of limited metastatic load in NPC, and is associated with improved survival.