@article{3033880,
    title = "Immunotherapy in Nonendemic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Real-World Data
from Two Nonendemic Regions",
    author = "Economopoulou, Panagiota and Pantazopoulos, Anastasios and Spathis, Aris and and Kotsantis, Ioannis and Kyriazoglou, Anastasios and Kavourakis, and George and Zakopoulou, Roubini and Chatzidakis, Ioannis and Anastasiou, and Maria and Prevezanou, Maria and Resteghini, Carlo and Licitra, Lisa and and Bergamini, Cristiana and Colombo, Elena and Caspani, Francesca and and Denaro, Nerina and Vecchio, Stefania and Bonomo, Pierluigi and Cossu and Rocca, Maria and Bertolini, Federica and Ferrari, Daris and Psyrri, and Amanda and Bossi, Paolo",
    journal = "Cell Stem Cell",
    year = "2022",
    volume = "11",
    number = "1",
    publisher = "MDPI",
    issn = "1934-5909",
    doi = "10.3390/cells11010032",
    keywords = "immunotherapy; nasopharyngeal cancer; EBV DNA; nonendemic region",
    abstract = "Background: nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a complex disease entity
that mainly predominates in endemic regions. Real-world data with
immunotherapy from nonendemic regions are limited. Methods: we collected
data from patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) NPC treated at a
center in Greece and 8 centers in Italy. Between 2016 and 2021, 46
patients who were treated with at least one cycle of immune checkpoint
inhibitors (ICI) were identified. Herein, we present our results and a
review of the literature. Results: assessment of response was available
in 42 patients. Overall, 11 patients responded to immunotherapy (Overall
Response Rate-ORR 26.2%). Three patients had complete response (CR),
and 8 patients had partial response (PR). Disease control rate (DCR) was
61.9%. Median Progression Free Survival (PFS) was 5.6 months and median
Overall Survival (OS) was 19.1 months. Responders to ICI improved PFS
and OS as compared to that of nonresponders. A lower probability of
responding to ICI was shown in patients with more than three metastatic
sites (p = 0.073), metastatic disease at initial diagnosis, (p = 0.039)
or EBV DNA positive before ICI initiation, (p = 0.074). Decline in EBV
DNA levels was found to be statistically significant associated with
best response to ICI (p = 0.049). Safety was manageable. Conclusions:
among 46 patients with R/M NPC treated with immunotherapy in two
nonendemic regions, ORR was 26.2% and durable responses were observed.
Low disease burden could serve as a biomarker for response to ICI."
}