Neutron therapy for head and neck cancer: II. Further follow-up on the M. D. Anderson TAMVEC randomized clinical trial.
Between January 1977 and February 1980, 95 patients with inoperable squamous carcinomas of the head and neck were treated in a two-armed randomized clinical trial comparing 1) mixed schedule irradiation using two neutron and three photon fractions per week and 2) standard photon irradiation. Complete tumor regression was achieved in 80% of patients treated with mixed-schedule irradiation, and in 68% of patients treated with photons. The local control rate was 44% in patients treated with mixed-schedule irradiation and 41% in patients treated with photons. There were four complications of treatment in each treatment arm. Absolute survival was 20% with mixed-schedule treatment and 17% in photons. Actuarial analysis shows superior local control and survival rates with mixed-schedule irradiation over photons only in the first two years.
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004601:Elementary Particles; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D009502:Neutrons; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011897:Random Allocation; D013781:Texas