Zhang Y, Chen L, Hu GQ, et al. - Through a parallel-group, multicenter, randomized, controlled, phase 3 trial of 480 patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, researchers contrasted gemcitabine and cisplatin as induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone. The 3-year recurrence-free survival was 85.3% and 76.5% in the induction chemotherapy group and the standard-therapy group, respectively. At 3 years, overall survival was 94.6% and 90.3%, respectively. A total of 96.7% of the patients finished three cycles of induction chemotherapy. The incidence of acute adverse events of grade 3 or 4 was 75.7% and 55.7 %, respectively, in the induction chemotherapy group and the standard therapy group, with a higher incidence of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, nausea, and vomiting in the induction chemotherapy group. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 late toxic influences was 9.2% and 11.4%, respectively, in the induction chemotherapy group vs standard therapy group. Thus, among patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, in comparison with chemoradiotherapy alone, induction chemotherapy added to chemoradiotherapy significantly enhanced recurrence-free survival and overall survival.