Pre-treatment haemoglobin level predicts response and survival after TPF induction polychemotherapy in advanced head and neck cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prognostic value of the pre-treatment haemoglobin level in patients with advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer treated with induction polychemotherapy.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients with advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer received primary combination chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) on day 1, cisplatin 100 mg/m(2) on day 1, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 1000 mg/m(2)/day on days 1-4 (total dose 4000 mg/m(2)), repeated on days 1, 22 and 43 followed by chemoradiation. The data collected included pre-treatment haemoglobin, response to treatment, disease-free and overall survival.


RESULTS
The pre-treatment haemoglobin level was found to be a significant predictor of response to induction chemotherapy (P = 0.01) and an independent predictor of overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-1.03, P = 0.0001] and disease free survival (HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.41-3.09, P = 0.0001). Furthermore N-stage was found to be a significant prognostic factor of overall survival (HR 9.24, 95% CI 6.90-21.34, P = 0.005). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status scale was also found to be significant for disease free survival (HR 7.66, 95% CI 2.61-22.46, P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer, the haemoglobin level prior to induction chemotherapy is significantly related to outcome including response and survival.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
M
M
Baghi
J
J
Wagenblast
M
M
Hambek
S
S
Moertel
W
W
Gstoettner
K
K
Strebhardt
R
R
Knecht
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil