Objective:
• Investigate the impact of radiation timing (morning, afternoon, night) on overall survival (OS) and toxicity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)
Methods:
• Retrospective analysis of 1,040 NPC patients treated with IMRT
• Patients grouped by treatment time: Morning (6:00-11:59), Afternoon (12:00-17:59), Night (18:00-24:00)
• Propensity score matching and Cox regression used to balance confounders
Results:
• Morning RT increased OS
• Hazard ratio: Afternoon (5.88, P=.004), Night (4.81, P=.018)
• No difference in acute toxicity between groups
Conclusion:
Morning radiation increases survival for NPC. Prospective studies are needed to confirm findings.”