Abstract
This study was implemented for the evaluation on the circulating endothelial cells' (CECs) clinical significance in the locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment with endostatin-combined chemoradiotherapy. This study enrolled 47 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were hospitalized from May 9, 2012 to March 10, 2013. These patients were split up into the observation group (25 patients) and control group (22 patients). Patients in the observation group received the endostatin combined with induction chemotherapy and subsequently with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with endostatin. Patients in the control group were treated with inductive chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. CECs in peripheral blood were conducted separately before or after inductive chemotherapy and additionally in the end of concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The CEC values of the observation group showed significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) before or after different therapies, whereas those data in the control group were not statistically different. And, the mostly importantly, the CEC values in the observation group and control group turned out a statistical difference. The combination of endostatin and chemoradiotherapy significantly reduced parameters of peripheral blood CECs in these patients. According to the CEC parameters' variety that we observed in the combined therapies, this study demonstrated that the CECs might be a clinical clue to evaluate this antiangiogenic chemoradiotherapy. And the clinical value of CECs will be further determined along with increasing comparative studies and clinical long-term efficacy observation.