Prospective study of integrating post-radiotherapy [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan and plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA in surveillance of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Abstract

6072 Background: To evaluate the role of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) scan at 12-weeks after the end of Radiotherapy (RT) integrated with plasma EBV DNA in surveillance and standardized implementation of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Methods: This prospective study was conducted in patients with stage III-IVa LA-NPC. FDG-PET/CT examination and plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA measurements was performed pretreatment and at 12-weeks after the end RT. The primary study endpoint was the negative predictive value (NPV) and other supporting diagnostic test characteristics of 12-weeks FDG-PET/CT for the surveillance of residual locoregional disease and new distant metastasis. Results: From June 2018 to December 2019, 506 eligible patients were enrolled and entered follow-up (median,45 months). At 12 weeks after the end of RT, there were 22 (4.3%) patients have residual locoregional disease, 30 (5.9%) patients developed distant metastasis and 6 (1.2%) patients presented both residual locoregional disease and distant metastasis. The NPV of 12-weeks FDG-PET/CT for overall residual diseases and distant metastasis was 96.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.0%-97.8%) with sensitivity of 72.4% (95%CI, 58.9%-83.0%), specificity of 93.3% (95%CI, 90.5%-95.4%), positive predictive value (PPV) of 58.3% (95%CI, 46.1%-69.6%) and accuracy of 90.9% (95%CI, 88.4%-93.4%). In EBV DNA-based risk subgroups, the NPV of 12-weeks PDG-PET/CT was 96.8% (95%CI, 94.5%-98.2%) in patients with undetectable 12-weeks plasma EBV DNA and 87.0% (95%CI, 65.3%-96.5%) in patients with detectable 12-weeks plasma EBV DNA. Conclusions: 12-weeks PDG-PET/CT was reliable in the surveillance of LA-NPC and could help optimize the follow-up strategy and provide implications for timely and effective therapeutic regimen, especially for patients in different EBV DNA-based risk groups. Clinical trial information: NCT03601390 .