Correlation Between Superoxide Dismutase Serum Level Alteration with Neck Metastatic Tumor Post Cisplatin–Paclitaxel Chemotherapy Response in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor in the nasopharynx. The patients treated with neoadjuvan combination chemotherapy cisplatin–paclitaxel while waiting a radiotherapy. This combination can produce a very high reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Our body has a protective mechanism against oxidant through superoxide dismutase (SOD) that can inhibit DNA chain damage from ROS induction produced by chemotherapy in NPC patients. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between SOD level alteration with neck metastatic tumor response after cisplatin–paclitaxel chemotherapy. This was a cohort study. Thirty samples examined for neck metastasis tumor volume (VTM) and serum SOD were examined with ELISA pre- and postchemotherapy. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Mean SOD serum level pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy were was 179.5 and 209.1, respectively. Mean tumor metastaic volume pre and post chemotherapy were 127.3 and 62.7, respectively. The correlation test with the result (r) 0.180 and p = 0.340. There was no correlation between SOD serum level alteration with VTM volume post cisplatin–paclitaxel chemotherapy in NPC patients.