title: Carboplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid: a 48-hour chemotherapy regimen in advanced and recurrent squamous carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: Eighty patients with advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck were entered into a study using a 2-day, inpatient, intravenous regimen. Folinic acid 200 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg/ m2 bolus followed by 5-FU 500 mg/m2 in a 22-hour infusion were given on days 1 and 2, with carboplatin 300 mg/m2 on day 2. The whole was repeated every 21 days. Forty-three patients had advanced disease with no prior treatment; 37 had recurred following radical treatment. Fifty-eight patients were male and the median age was 60 years. In total, 275 cycles of chemotherapy were given. The major toxicity was haematological, which delayed 65 cycles of chemotherapy and contributed to the death of two patients. Non-haematological toxicity was mild, with less than 8% of patients experiencing any toxicity greater than WHO grade 2. The patients who had had no previous treatment had a 65% response rate (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 48-80). Those who had been previously treated had a 37% response rate (95% CI 21-55). The overall response rate was 52% (95% CI 40-64), of whom 5% were complete responders. The median survival time was 36 weeks (95% CI 29-45), with the majority of patients dying with progressive disease. We conclude that this chemotherapy regimen was well tolerated and produced minimal toxicity, while maintaining an acceptable response rate of 52%.
authors.affiliation: Beatson Oncology Centre, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: M Q
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Hatton
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Junor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Canney
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yosef
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McGurk
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Symonds
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil