A Canadian Perspective on Systemic Therapy for Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Although the majority of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) present with early-stage or locoregional disease that can be treated with definitive radiotherapy, approximately 20% of patients experience disease recurrence, and 15% present with metastatic disease that is not amenable to curati...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Current Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/1/48 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Although the majority of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) present with early-stage or locoregional disease that can be treated with definitive radiotherapy, approximately 20% of patients experience disease recurrence, and 15% present with metastatic disease that is not amenable to curative therapy. Management of patients with recurrent or metastatic (r/m) NPC who are not candidates for local salvage therapy is challenging in Canada, as there is uncertainty in extrapolating evidence that is largely generated from Southeast China to non-endemic regions such as Canada. Currently, treatment options in Canada are limited to chemotherapy regimens that can only achieve short-term response and prolongation of survival. The addition of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies to chemotherapy has been shown to extend progression-free survival in recurrent r/m NPC compared to chemotherapy alone; however, approval of PD-1 inhibitors in Canada has lagged behind other jurisdictions where NPC is non-endemic. This paper reviews the current systemic treatment landscape for r/m NPC in Canada, highlights unmet treatment needs for patients who are not candidates for curative therapy, and discusses the challenges and opportunities that lie in emerging therapies. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1198-0052 1718-7729 |