Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor originating from epithelial cells of the nasopharynx. Cisplatin is the first-line drug for chemotherapy in NPC patients. Chemoresistance is a major cause of oral cancer progression and mortality. Research has revealed the anticancer properties of vitamin D, suggesting that it can impede the development of cancer. This study is to determine the effect of vitamin D3 administration on chemotherapy response in advanced NPC patients who were receiving Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. 
Methods: This research is an analytic observational study with a pretest-posttest sectional design. The research sample was NPC Stage III and IV patients in Sub-Oncology of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery clinic undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, whose chemotherapy response was assessed based on two groups, namely the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 1000 IU Vitamin D3 premedication.
Results: This study involved 32 patients with NPC stage III and IV, with 75% male and 25% female. The average age was 49 years. Most of the patients were in stage IV, which was 87.5%, while stage III was 12.5%. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had 56.3% with positive chemotherapy responses and 43.8% negative responses, while the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group with Vit D3 premedication had 93.8% with positive responses, and 6.3% negative responses. The statistical test results obtained p = 0.037, which means that there was a significant effect of vitamin D3 administration on chemotherapy response in advanced NPC patients who were receiving Cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
Conclusion: Administration of Cisplatin-based Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 1000 IU vitamin D3 premedication has an effect 2.33 times more effective in increasing chemotherapy response compared to neoadjuvant therapy alone.