Gemcitabine, capecitabine, and tislelizumab in recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma following prior anti-PD-1 therapy failure: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of low-dose gemcitabine and metronomic capecitabine in combination with tislelizumab for patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC) who have previously received other anti-PD-1 therapies.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational study included patients with RM-NPC who had prior treatment with anti-PD-1 therapy and subsequently received tislelizumab along with low-dose gemcitabine and metronomic capecitabine between March 2019 and August 2023. Progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Among 25 eligible patients, 8 (20%) achieved a complete response (CR). The objective response rate (ORR) was 68%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 80%. The 1-year PFS rate was 78%. All patients experienced treatment-related adverse events, which were all grade 1 or 2.

CONCLUSION

The combination of tislelizumab with low-dose gemcitabine and metronomic capecitabine demonstrated promising antitumor effectiveness in RM-NPC patients who had failed previous anti-PD-1 therapy, with a manageable safety profile.