Table 3 Summary of the two-step scoring model and the definition of three risk groups

From: Who may omit locoregional radiotherapy in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a failure-pattern–based strategy in the immunotherapy era

Step

Factors

Score count

Score threshold

Risk group

Definition

Step 1

Number of metastatic organs >1

1

≥2 points

Resistant patients

Resistant patients are defined as those with high risk of distant progression, regardless of locoregional control

Baseline LDH level≥500 U/L

1

EBV DNA level after first-line immunochemotherapy: Detectable

1

Response evaluation after first-line immunochemotherapy: SD or PD

2

Step 2

EBV DNA level after one cycle: Undetectable

1

= 2 points

Durable responders

Durable responders are defined as patients likely to achieve long-term remission with immunotherapy maintenance alone

The initial assessment of locoregional response: DpR >70%

1

 

Otherwise

Partial responders

Partial responders are defined as patients who were prone to experience isolated locoregional progression, with satisfactory distant control

  1. LDH lactate dehydrogenase, EBV Epstein-Barr virus, SD stable disease, PD progressive disease, DpR depth of response, defined as the percentage of tumor shrinkage from the baseline tumor burden to the timepoint of assessment.
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