Carboplatin and tegafur-uracil concomitant with standard radiotherapy in the management of locally advanced head and neck cancer.
BACKGROUND
We undertook a prospective study to determine the feasibility, toxicity, response and survival rate of simultaneous chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) for locally-advanced head and neck cancer.


METHODS
Fifty eight patients were treated with carboplatin (i.e. 100 mg/m(2)) weekly, tegafur-uracil (UFT) (oral 400 mg/m(2)) daily and simultaneous treatment with a cobalt-60 source of radiation (total dose 65-70 Gy).


RESULTS
Forty six patients (79%) received the total dose of RT while CT was delayed or reduced in 31 patients (53%). Grade 3-4 toxicity observed was mucositis in 27 (47%), leukopenia in 10 (17%), anaemia in 5 (9%), and diarrhoea in 4 (7%) patients. The objective response rate was 74%; 24 complete response (41%) and 19 partial response (33%). Overall, there are 11 patients (19%) disease-free, 7 (12%) alive with disease, 35 have died of progressive disease (60%) and 3 (5%) from other causes. There were 2 toxic deaths (3%). Median time to progression was 10 months and median survival was 18.4 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of carboplatin and UFT concomitant with radiotherapy has, in our study, a slightly lower activity than other chemo-radiotherapy protocols, especially with respect to complete responses, but with no significant differences in overall survival or disease-free survival rates.
Segura Huerta
Angel
A
Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital La Fe, 46009 Valencia, Spain. segura_ang@gva.es
Díaz-Beveridge
Roberto
R
Pérez-Fidalgo
José A
JA
Calderero Aragón
Verónica
V
Pastor Borgoñón
Miguel
M
Aparicio Urtasun
Jorge
J
Montalar Salcedo
Joaquín
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage
D005641:Tegafur; D016190:Carboplatin