Salvage endoscopic nasopharyngectomy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus conventional radiotherapy in treating locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Although endoscopic nasopharyngectomy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) have been reported to be useful in treating isolated local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), their efficacy needs to be revaluated with comparison to 2D conventional radiotherapy (RT). METHODS Four hundred ten patients with recurrent NPC were retrospectively analyzed, among whom the patients underwent IMRT, endoscopic nasopharyngectomy, and 2D conventional RT. RESULTS The 5-year overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival were significantly higher in endoscopic nasopharyngectomy and IMRT groups than in 2D conventional RT group both in the entire series and in the subgroup of patients with recurrent T1 to 2 NPC (p < .05), except in the subgroup of recurrent T3 to 4 stratifications (IMRT vs 2D conventional RT; 28.8% vs 16.8%; p = .351). Furthermore, endoscopic nasopharyngectomy was associated with better OS than IMRT in the recurrent T1 to 2 subgroup (79.2% vs 62.1%; p = .007). Multivariate analysis indicated therapeutic modality was an independent predictor of OS and distant metastasis-free survival (p < .001). CONCLUSION Endoscopic nasopharyngectomy and IMRT are associated with an improved OS and distant metastasis-free survival of patients with recurrent NPC compared to 2D conventional RT in early recurrent disease.