title: Treatment results of alternating chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer using cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil--a phase II study.
abstract: The present study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic results of alternating chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer. The subjects were 87 patients with stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal cancer. Alternating chemoradiotherapy was performed; initially, chemotherapy was administered, and then radiotherapy (wide field), chemotherapy, radiotherapy (shrinking field), and chemotherapy were alternately performed. For chemotherapy, 5-FU at a dose of 800 mg/m2/24 h was intravenously administered for 5 days (days 1-5), and CDDP at a dose of 50 mg/m2/24h for 2 days was administered on day 6 and 7. The scheduled courses of alternating chemoradiotherapy were completed in 70 (80%) of 87 patients. Although 1 patient developed a transient neurological disturbance induced by hyper-ammonemia by metabolism of 5-FU, no severe adverse effects were noted in any other patients. In these 87 patients, the overall 5-year survival rate was 83% (95% confidence interval: 74-92%), and the progression free survival rate was 75% (95% CI: 66-85%). This method of alternating chemoradiotherapy yielded higher or at least similar survival rates and lower toxicities than concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and is worth trying in a randomized controlled study to compare with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, 1-1 Kanokoden, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan. nfuwa@aichi-cc.jp
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fuwa
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shikama
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuzuka
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toita
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yuta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oonishi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodaira
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daimon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil