title: Fast neutron irradiation of metastatic cervical adenopathy: the results of a randomized RTOG study.
abstract: Between 1977 and 1982, 199 evaluable patients with measurable cervical adenopathy were entered on a prospective, randomized RTOG study evaluating the use of fast neutrons in treatment of advanced, inoperable squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region. One hundred-eleven patients were randomized to receive mixed beam radiation therapy, and 88 were randomized to the photon control treatment. The complete response rates were 86% for mixed beam vs 75% for photons for Stage N1 nodes, 62% for mixed beam vs 48% for photons for Stage N2 nodes, and 63% for mixed beam vs 53% for photons for N3 nodes. The percents of patients remaining free of their adenopathy for two years were 78% for mixed beam vs 55% for photons for Stage N1 nodes, 39% for both mixed beam and photons for N2 nodes and 24% for mixed beam vs 13% for photons for N3 nodes. The median disease-free status was 20.3 months for mixed beam treated patients and 6.4 months for photon-treated patients. Patients who had clearance of cervical adenopathy survived significantly longer than those who did not.
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004601:Elementary Particles; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009502:Neutrons; D011897:Random Allocation