Recursive partitioning analysis model for de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with locoregional radiotherapy following chemoimmunotherapy

Abstract

Background

Chemoimmunotherapy is the first-line treatment of de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (dmNPC), with additional locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT) significantly prolonging patient survival. De novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, however, demonstrates considerable heterogeneity, resulting in significant variability in patient outcomes. We developed and validated a prognostic tool for patients undergoing first-line chemoimmunotherapy plus LRRT and to evaluate the benefit of local therapy (LT) for distant metastases across different risk levels.

Patients and methods

We studied 364 dmNPC patients receiving initial platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immunotherapy followed by LRRT. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts (7 : 3 ratio). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). A prognostic model for PFS was developed using recursive partitioning analysis (RPA).

Results

An RPA model categorized patients into five prognostic groups based on number of metastatic lesions, liver metastasis status, and post-treatment Epstein–Barr virus DNA levels. Survival analysis identified three distinct risk groups. High-risk patients had significantly poorer PFS compared with medium- and low-risk groups (2-year PFS rate: training cohort: 13.7% versus 69.4% versus 94.4%, P < 0.001; validation cohort: 7.8% versus 65.1% versus 87.3%, P < 0.001). We investigated the impact of LT for distant metastases across these risk groups and found that only patients in the medium-risk group derived benefit from LT (2-year PFS rate: 77.5% versus 64.0%; hazard ratio = 0.535, 95% confidence interval 0.297-0.966, P = 0.035). Conversely, no survival benefit from LT for distant metastases was observed in the low-risk (P = 0.218) and high-risk subgroups (P = 0.793).

Conclusions

Our RPA-based prognostic model integrates number of metastatic lesions, liver metastasis status, and post-treatment Epstein–Barr virus DNA levels to predict PFS in dmNPC patients undergoing chemoimmunotherapy plus LRRT. This model offers personalized treatment guidance, suggesting that patients in the medium-risk group may benefit from LT for distant metastases, while those in high- and low-risk groups may not.