title: Hydroxyurea modulates 5-fluorouracil antineoplastic activity in advanced head and neck carcinoma pretreated with chemotherapy.
abstract: After informed consent 21 patients with advanced head and neck cancer resistant to folinic acid/5-fluorouracil (FA/5FU + cisplatin) were treated with weekly FA/5FU plus low dose hydroxyurea (HU) to evaluate if HU could further modulate 5FU antineoplastic activity. Five patients achieved a partial response (23.8%) which was short-lived (mean duration 6.5 months). Three patients (14%) had stable disease and 13 (62%) progressed. Among responders, four patients had epidermoidal carcinoma and one had clear cell carcinoma. Treatment was well tolerated and 5FU-related toxicity was not apparently worsened by the addition of HU. The most frequent toxicities were nausea/vomiting (81%), diarrhea (52%) and leukopenia (57%). Grade 3 nausea/vomiting and leukopenia were recorded in only 19 and 9% of cases, respectively. One patient had grade 1 cutaneous toxicity and a second patient showed a hand-foot syndrome. These results suggest that HU may further positively modulate 5FU antineoplastic activity.
authors.affiliation: Section of Oncology, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gebbia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zerillo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ingria
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spadafora
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rausa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil; D006918:Hydroxyurea