Chemo-Radiotherapeutic Management of Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

1989 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 600-604
Author(s):  
Luigi Pirtoli ◽  
Enrico Tucci ◽  
Fiorella Pepi ◽  
Lucio Sebaste ◽  
Mirco Bindi ◽  
...  

Stage III and IV head and neck cancer patients usually achieve poor therapeutic results after radiotherapy. The search for more effective treatment modalities is justified, provided that tolerance is not lower than that of the usual radiation therapy schedules. Chemotherapy has been shown to be effective, and cisplatinum and bleomycin based treatments are reported to result in objective remissions in a substantial proportion of cases. There is also experimental evidence of a radiosensitizing activity of cisplatinum. Thirty-five locally advanced head and neck cancer patients were given combined chemo-radiotherapeutic treatment consisting of a cisplatinum and bleomycin induction followed by a standard radiotherapy course integrated with weekly administrations of cisplatinum. Before radiotherapy, an overall 48.5 % objective remission rate was achieved, that rose to 85.8 % after completion of the entire treatment, with a 31.5 % complete response rate. Incidence and severity of radiation mucositis seem not to be increased, and systemic toxicity is very low, with the adopted drug administration schedule. Overall results do not show any obvious superiority over those of radiotherapy alone.

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-81
Author(s):  
Swapan Kumar Mallick ◽  
Rinki Saha

Introduction: Head and neck cancer is the commonest malignancy in India. Most of the cases present are at a locally advanced stage. Concurrent chemo radiotherapy is one of the treatment options in locally advanced Head & Neck Cancer patients. Materials & Methods: Locally advanced head and neck cancer patients attending the Out Patient Department of Radiotherapy from May 2018 to February 2020. Patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation and followed for a minimum period of 9 months. Results: On analysing the pattern of response, it was noted that, in the chemoradiation complete response was seen in 20 patients (66.66%), partial response in 6 patients (20%), stable disease in 2 patients (6.66%) and progressive disease in 1 patient (3.33%). In our study, complete Response in case of Stage III was seen in 18 patients and other form of response was seen in 3 patients . In case of Stage IV A and IV B , Complete Response in 2 patients and other form of response was in 6 patients respectively. Haematological toxicities like neutropenia (3.3%), thrombocytopenia (0%) and anaemia (3.3%) were seen. Acute toxicities like oral mucositis and skin reaction were observed 10% in both the cases. Conclusions: The present study, Concomitant chemoradiotherapy improved overall survival and locoregional control. Preservation of function is a major endpoint of interest.


2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorio Franciosi ◽  
Marco Fumagalli ◽  
Luciana Biscari ◽  
Roberto Martinelli ◽  
Teore Ferri ◽  
...  

Background and Aims To evaluate the feasibility in clinical practice of alternating chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients. Patients and Methods From August 1993 to April 1998 at the Division of Medical Oncology of Parma, 48 consecutive patients were observed, and 38 (79%) started the Merlano chemo-radiotherapy. The characteristics of the patients were: males (32, 84%); median age, 57 years; PS <2 (32, 84%). The primary sites were the oropharynx (18, 47%), oral cavity (8, 21%), hypopharynx (7, 19%), larynx (5, 13%); stage IV disease was present in 29 (76%) patients. Twenty-five (66%) patients were married, and 24 (63%) resided outside of the city. Results The compliance was very low: 21 patients (55%) performed all the programmed cycles of chemotherapy, whereas only 5 patients (13%) performed the chemo-radiotherapy at full doses without any delay. The objective responses were 3 (8%) complete and 21 (55%) complete plus partial responses. Failures were 2 (5%) stable disease and 2 (5%) progressive disease, and the response was not assessable in 10 (26%). The median duration of the response was 8 months. The median overall survival and the time to progression were 18 and 13 months, respectively; the 5-year overall and relapse-free survival were 36% and 26%, respectively. Nine (24%) patients were still alive as of August 30, 2001, 8 (21%) of them without progression. Twenty-six patients (68%) died with a local-regional relapse. One patient (3%) died for a second cancer. Grade 3–4 hematologic toxicity was leukopenia (n = 25, 66%) and thrombocytopenia (n = 9, 24%); grade 3–4 non-hematologic toxicity was diarrhea (n = 3, 8%) and mucositis (n = 2, 5%). Two patients (5%) died for intestinal infarction and perforation possibly related to treatment. Conclusions Compliance to the chemo-radiotherapy was very poor. The response rate was lower than that reported in clinical trials, whereas overall survival was comparable. The alternating chemo-radiotherapy is a very complex treatment that cannot be easily applied in clinical practice; a careful selection of patients is mandatory not only considering oncologic and medical criteria, but also the level of awareness of the patient and his family.


1991 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1376-1384 ◽  
Author(s):  
E E Vokes ◽  
R Mick ◽  
E P Lester ◽  
W R Panje ◽  
R R Weichselbaum

Fifty-one patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer were treated with three cycles of cisplatin at 100 mg/m2 followed by 5-day continuous infusion fluorouracil (5-FU) at 1,000 mg/m2/d as induction chemotherapy. Subsequent local therapy consisted of surgery for patients with resectable disease and/or radiotherapy. Three cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy were administered to patients with partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) to induction chemotherapy. Twenty-two patients (43%) had a clinical CR that was pathologically confirmed in 12 patients (24%), and 24 patients (47%) had a PR for an overall response rate of 90%. Local therapy included surgery in 24 patients (47%) and radiotherapy alone in 22 patients (43%). Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 32 patients (63%) frequently at great dose reduction. At a median follow-up of 90 months, the median survival is 22 months (95% confidence interval, 15 to 36 months), and the 5-year survival is 25%, with only five patients known to be alive and disease-free at this time. The median time to progression is 14 months, with 29 patients (57%) having documented progression of their head and neck cancer and eight (16%) having progression of a second neoplasm. Seven patients died of intervening medical events. This high incidence of second malignancies supports the continued investigation of chemoprevention for patients in CR. Despite the known high response rates achieved with cisplatin and 5-FU induction chemotherapy, the overall poor survival data reported here should lead to a thorough reexamination of the frequent administration of this regimen in the community.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6089-6089
Author(s):  
Diptirani Samanta ◽  
Surendra nath Senapati ◽  
Kirti Ranjan Mohanty ◽  
Saroj Das

6089 Background: To evaluate the response and toxicity of docetaxel, cisplatinum, 5-FU vs paclitaxel, cisplatinum, 5-FU as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by concurrent chemoradiation (CTRT) with weekly cisplatinum in locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods: 40 locally advanced head and neck cancer patients who satisfied the eligibility criteria were randomized.21 patients received three cycles of NACT i.e paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) on d1, cisplatinum (30 mg/m2) and 5-FU (600 mg/m2) d2-d4 (TCF) and 19 patients received three cycles of NACT docetaxel (75 mg/m2) on d1, cisplatinum (30 mg/m2) and 5-FU (600 mg/m2) d2-d4 at three week intervals, followed by concurrent weekly cisplatinum 30 mg/m2 along with conventional external beam radiation of total tumor dose dose 66 Gy. Response was assessed after NACT and again after six weeks, three months and six months of completion of chemoradiation. Toxicities were assessed after each cycles of NACT and also weekly during CTRT and thereafter. Results: Two weeks after completion of NACT complete response (CR) in TCF was 4.76%, partial response (PR) 80.9% and no response 9.5%. However in DCF, CR was 15.78 % PR was 73.68%. 10.52% patientd died due to toxicity. With a median follow up of seven months, in TCF CR was 57.14%, PR 33.33% and no response was 4.76%, whereas in DCF CR was 78.94%, PR 10.52% and death 10.5%. On evaluation of toxicities during NACT, patients in DCF had more significant neutropenia and in TCF more incidence of neuropathy. During CTRT, in TCF grade II and III mucositis was 54%, grade II neutropenia 5.6%, and grade II anemia 5.3%. In DCF mucositis grade II and III was 49.0%, neutropenia grade II 18.7% and anemia grade II was 7.4%. Late toxicities included were comparable in both arms. Conclusions: With a median follow up of 7 months, the CR in DCF was 78.94%, superior than TCF i.e 57.14%. Neutropenia was significant in DCF and neuropathy was high in TCF. In CTRT mucositis was the commonest toxicity observed in both TCF and DCF which was not statistically significant.


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