cisplatin + fluorouracil + concurrent chemoradiotherapy

This therapeutic regimen is a specific treatment protocol for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), particularly for patients at high risk of metastasis. Developed and evaluated in multicenter Phase 3 trials by Sun Yat-sen University, the regimen consists of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) using the PF regimen (cisplatin and fluorouracil) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin. Cisplatin acts as a DNA alkylating agent that induces cross-links, while fluorouracil is an antimetabolite that inhibits thymidylate synthase, thereby disrupting DNA synthesis. The neoadjuvant phase aims to reduce the systemic tumor burden and distant metastasis risk before the local-regional control provided by radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin. This approach has demonstrated improvements in overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival in high-risk NPC populations.

Other names

PF regimen followed by CCRTNeoadjuvant PF + CCRTcisplatin and fluorouracil followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy