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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2023

Open Access 01-12-2023 | Cytostatic Therapy | Research

Impact of sex on treatment-related adverse effects and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Authors: Linchong Cui, Zilu Chen, Fangfang Zeng, Xiaolan Jiang, Xiaoyan Han, Xiaofei Yuan, Shuting Wu, Huiru Feng, Danfan Lin, Wenxuan Lu, Xiong Liu, Xiaohong Peng, Bolong Yu

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2023

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Abstract

Background

In nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), women have a lower incidence and mortality rate than men. Whether sex influences the prognosis of NPC patients remains debatable. We retrospectively examined the influence of sex on treatment-related side effects and prognosis in NPC.

Methods

Clinical data of 1,462 patients with NPC treated at the Southern Hospital of Southern Medical University from January 2004 to December 2015 were retrospectively examined. Statistical analysis was performed to assess differences in overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), local recurrence-free survival(LRFS), and progression-free survival(PFS), as well as treatment-related adverse effects, including myelosuppression, gastrointestinal responses, and radiation pharyngitis and dermatitis, between men and women.

Results

Women had better 5-year OS (81.5% vs. 87.1%, P = 0.032) and DMFS (76.2% vs. 83.9%, P = 0.004) than men. Analysis by age showed that the prognoses of premenopausal and menopausal women were better than those of men, whereas prognoses of postmenopausal women and men were not significantly different. Additionally, women had a better prognosis when stratified by treatment regimen. Furthermore, chemotherapy-related adverse effects were more severe in women than in men; however, the incidences of radiation laryngitis and dermatitis were not significantly different between the sexes. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the female sex was an independent risk factor for severe myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reactions.

Conclusions

Chemotherapy-related side effects are more severe but the overall prognosis is better in women with NPC than in men with NPC. Patients may benefit from a personalized treatment approach for NPC.

Trial registration

This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Nanfang Hospital of the Southern Medical University (NFEC-201,710-K3).
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Metadata
Title
Impact of sex on treatment-related adverse effects and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors
Linchong Cui
Zilu Chen
Fangfang Zeng
Xiaolan Jiang
Xiaoyan Han
Xiaofei Yuan
Shuting Wu
Huiru Feng
Danfan Lin
Wenxuan Lu
Xiong Liu
Xiaohong Peng
Bolong Yu
Publication date
01-12-2023
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-11564-0

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