title: [Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally unresectable head and neck cancer].
abstract: In patients with locally unresectable head and neck cancer with large nodal involvement, the expected five-year survival is as low as 1-2%. To improve the prognosis of these patients, we studied the usefulness of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a phase II trial. Between September 1996 and May 1999, thirty-five patients with locally unresectable head and neck cancer were administered concurrent chemoradiotherapy consisting of low-dose and long-term treatment with cisplatin (CDDP) plus 5-fluorouracil (5FU), or (L-CF); the L-CF regimen consisted of CDDP, 3 mg/m2 on 5 days of the week and 5FU, 150 mg/m2 as a 24-hour infusion on 5 days of the week. Concurrently, conventional radiotherapy was given up to total dose of around 60 Gy. In the 33 patients evaluable for response, 17 complete and 9 partial responses were noted, with an overall response rate of 79%. Oral mucostis and myelosuppression were the major side effects and mucositis was a dose limiting toxicity. This study demonstrates increase in survival among the responders (complete + partial) in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy setting. However 8 local relapses were eventually noted in the 17 complete responders. We concluded that this treatment strategy was beneficial in patients with locally unresectable head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakanoboh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil