Table 2 Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for patients with NPC (n = 1149)

DFS

RT-PWL (< 5% vs ≥ 5%)

1.56

1.19–2.03

0.001

Age (≤ 45 vs > 45, years)

1.36

1.08–1.71

0.010

Gender (Male vs Female)

1.18

0.91–1.53

0.215

Pathology (Type I-II vs Type III)

0.44

0.26–0.72

0.001

T stage (T1-2 vs T3-4)

1.62

1.16–2.27

0.005

N stage (N0-1 vs N2-3)

1.54

1.20–1.97

0.001

EBV DNA (<  4000 vs ≥ 4000, copy/mL)

1.50

1.12–2.01

0.007

Treatment strategy (RT alone vs CCRT)

0.75

0.48–1.17

0.200

Treatment strategy (RT alone vs NAC + CCRT)

0.84

0.54–1.32

0.455

OS

RT-PWL (< 5% vs ≥ 5%)

1.54

1.11–2.15

0.011

Age (≤ 45 vs > 45, years)

1.57

1.17–2.10

0.002

Pathology (Type I-II vs Type III)

0.37

0.21–0.66

0.001

T stage (T1-2 vs T3-4)

1.84

1.20–2.81

0.005

N stage (N0-1 vs N2-3)

1.72

1.26–2.81

0.001

Smoking history (No vs Yes)

1.26

0.93–1.70

0.131

LDH (< 245 vs ≥245, U/L)

1.27

0.80–2.03

0.308

EBV DNA (<  4000 vs ≥ 4000, copy/mL)

1.54

1.08–2.21

0.018

DMFS

RT-PWL (< 5% vs ≥ 5%)

1.47

1.03–2.10

0.033

Age (≤ 45 vs > 45, years)

1.43

1.04–1.96

0.026

Pathology (Type I-II vs Type III)

0.55

0.27–1.13

0.104

T stage (T1-2 vs T3-4)

1.41

0.92–2.18

0.118

N stage (N0-1 vs N2-3)

1.99

1.41–2.80

< 0.001

Smoking history (No vs Yes)

1.37

0.99–1.90

0.055

LDH (< 245 vs ≥245, U/L)

1.33

0.82–2.16

0.247

EBV DNA (<  4000 vs ≥ 4000, copy/mL)

2.01

1.23–3.30

0.006

LRRFS

Pathology (Type I-II vs Type III)

0.31

0.14–0.72

0.006

Smoking history (No vs Yes)

0.56

0.31–1.01

0.056

Treatment strategy (RT alone vs CCRT)

4.63

1.11–19.36

0.036

Treatment strategy (RT alone vs NAC + CCRT)

4.86

1.17–20.15)

0.029