The independent, unfavorable prognostic factors endothelin A receptor and chemokine receptor 4 have a close relationship in promoting the motility of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via the activation of AKT and MAPK pathways

Table 3 Summary of the multivariate analysis of prognostic factors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Excluding CXCR4)

Clinical endpoint	Prognosticator	HR	95% CI	P value
OS	ETAR expression	1.93	1.11-3.38	0.02
	UICC stage	1.54	1.19-2.01	0.001
	N classification	1.42	1.12-1.80	0.003
	Gender	0.57	0.34-0.93	0.026
	Age	1.98	1.28-3.07	0.002
PFS	ETAR expression	2.58	1.28-5.22	0.008
	UICC stage	1.36	1.02-1.84	0.04
	N classification	1.42	1.1-1.84	0.007
	Gender	0.47	0.25-0.89	0.02
DMFS	ETAR expression	4.62	1.66-12.86	0.003
	N classification	1.92	1.46-2.54	<0.001
LRRFS	UICC stage	1.76	1.22-2.54	0.002

CI confidence interval, DMFS distant metastasis-free survival, HR hazard ratio, LRRFS locoregional relapse-free survival, OS overall survival, PFS progression-free survival.