title: Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in a child: complete response to chemoradiotherapy.
abstract: This report describes a complete response to a chemoradiotherapy regimen in a child with an advanced and unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. An 8-year-old girl had stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (T4N2M0), causing severe trismus and dysphagia. She received hyperfractionated external beam radiotherapy (total 74.4 Gy) and concomitant intravenous infusion of hydroxyurea (0.313 mg/m2 per min) for 43 days. Grade 3 mucositis and myelosuppression were the main toxicities. There was marked symptomatic improvement, and the patient achieved a complete response. She is disease-free 24 months after treatment, and all the acute symptoms have resolved. The regimen was well tolerated with acceptable toxicity and led to a complete objective response. This regimen needs further evaluation to confirm its efficacy and to ascertain its long-term effects in children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10467, USA. soni@aecom.yu.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radel
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edelman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sattenberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wadler
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Beitler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology; D012074:Remission Induction; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D006918:Hydroxyurea